Modification of Class E Airspace; Wrangell Airport, Wrangell, AK

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 71</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2025-0182; Airspace Docket No. 22-AAL-75]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA66</RIN> <SUBJECT>Modification of Class E Airspace; Wrangell Airport, Wrangell, AK</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> This action modifies the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Wrangell Airport, Wrangell, AK; removes redundant Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface; and makes administrative updates to the airport's legal description. In sum, these actions support the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Effective date 0901 UTC, October 2, 2025. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference action under 1 CFR part 51, subject to the annual revision of FAA Order JO 7400.11 and publication of conforming amendments. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> A copy of the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), all comments received, this final rule, and all background material may be viewed online at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> using the FAA Docket number. Electronic retrieval help and guidelines are available on the website. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from the Office of the Federal Register's website at <E T="03">www.federalregister.gov.</E> FAA Order JO 7400.11J, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at <E T="03">www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/.</E> You may also contact the Rules and Regulations Group, Policy Directorate, Federal Aviation Administration, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20597; telephone: (202) 267-8783. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Jeffrey Drasin, Federal Aviation Administration, Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 S 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone (206) 231-2248. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Authority for This Rulemaking</HD> The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section, the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of the airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the efficient use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that authority as it modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface, removes Class E airspace extending from 1,200 feet above the surface, and updates the airport's legal description, to support IFR operations at Wrangell Airport, AK. <HD SOURCE="HD1">History</HD> The FAA published an NPRM for Docket No. FAA-2025-0182 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (90 FR 14217; March 31, 2025), proposing to modify Class E airspace at Wrangell Airport, Wrangell, AK. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Incorporation by Reference</HD> Class E airspace areas are published in paragraph 6005 of FAA Order JO 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 on an annual basis. This document amends the current version of that order, FAA Order JO 7400.11J, dated July 31, 2024, and effective September 15, 2024. These amendments will be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11. FAA Order JO 7400.11J, which lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points, is publicly available as listed in the <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section of this document. <HD SOURCE="HD1">The Rule</HD> This action amends 14 CFR part 71 by modifying the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface at Wrangell Airport, Wrangell, AK, to more appropriately contain flight procedures. This action also expands Class E airspace coverage to the north-northwest and southeast, removes unnecessary Class E coverage to the west-northwest, and removes redundant Class E airspace areas that extend upward from 1,200 feet above the surface. The terrain-driven airspace design resulting from the modifications above better contains departing IFR operations until reaching 1,200 feet above the surface to the south and southwest on the LASOE TWO Area Navigation (RNAV) (Required Navigation Performance [RNP]) Runway (RWY) 10 DEPARTURE, LASOE TWO RNAV (RNP) RWY 28 DEPARTURE, KAJBU FIVE RNAV (RNP) RWY 10 DEPARTURE, LEVEL ISLAND THREE DEPARTURE (OBSTACLE), and SUMNER TWO (RNAV) DEPARTURE procedures. The action also accommodates arriving IFR operations below 1,500 feet above the surface to the north on the RNAV (Global Positioning System [GPS]) P RWY 10 and RNAV (GPS)-E approach procedures. Additionally, this action removes redundant Class E airspace areas that extend upward from 1,200 and 5,700 feet above the surface at Wrangell Airport as the Southeast En Route Domestic Airspace Area provides sufficient airspace containment. Finally, references to the Wrangell nondirectional beacon, Wrangell localizer, and Level Island very high frequency omnidirectional range/distance measuring equipment are removed from line three of the legal description's text header as they are no longer needed to describe the airspace. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Regulatory Notices and Analyses</HD> The FAA has determined that this regulation only involves an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current. It, therefore: (1) is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a “significant rule” under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation of a regulatory evaluation as the anticipated impact is so minimal. Since this is a routine matter that only affects air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this rule does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Environmental Review</HD> The FAA has determined that this action qualifies for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, “Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures,” paragraph 5-6.5.a. This airspace action is not expected to cause any potentially significant environmental impacts, and no extraordinary circumstances exist that warrant preparation of an environmental assessment. <LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HED">List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71</HD> Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air). </LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HD1">The Amendment</HD> In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation Administration amends 14 CFR part 71 as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">PART 71—DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS</HD> <REGTEXT TITLE="14" PART="71"> 1. The authority citation for 14 CFR part 71 continues to read as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">Authority:</HD> 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389. </REGTEXT> <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 71.1</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>[Amended]</SUBJECT> </SECTION> <REGTEXT TITLE="14" PART="71"> 2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order JO 7400.11J, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 31, 2024, and effective September 15, 2024, is amended as follows: <STARS/> <EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">AAL AK E5 Wrangell, AK [Amended]</HD> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">Wrangell Airport, AK</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">(Lat. 56°29′04″ N, long. 132°22′11″ W)</FP> That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 5.6-mile radius of the airport, within five miles on either side of the 151° bearing extending from the 5.6-mile radius to 9.5 miles southeast of the airport, within 5.6 miles on the southwest side of the 320° bearing extending from the 5.6-mile radius to 11.8 miles northwest of the airport, and within 5.6 miles on the northeast side of the 320° bearing extending from the 5.6-mile radius to 13.5 miles northwest of the airport. <STARS/> </EXTRACT> </REGTEXT> <SIG> <DATED>Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on June 16, 2025.</DATED> <NAME>B.G. Chew,</NAME> Group Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center. </SIG> </SUPLINF> <FRDOC>[FR Doc. 2025-12429 Filed 7-2-25; 8:45 am]</FRDOC> </RULE>