Establishment of United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-190 and T-497, and Amendment of Domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-1, V-70, and V-194; Eastern United States

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 71</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2025-0668; Airspace Docket No. 24-ASO-34]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA66</RIN> <SUBJECT>Establishment of United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-190 and T-497, and Amendment of Domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-1, V-70, and V-194; Eastern United States</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 establishes United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-190 and T-497, and amends domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-1, V-70, and V-194, in the eastern United States. The FAA is taking this action due to the planned decommissioning of the Cofield, NC (CVI), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC). This action is in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Effective date 0901 UTC, March 19, 2026. 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 <E T="03">www.federalregister.gov.</E> FAA Order JO 7400.11K, 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> Brian Vidis, Rules and Regulations Group, Policy Directorate, Federal Aviation Administration, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20597; telephone: (202) 267-8783. </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 amends the route structure to maintain the efficient flow of air traffic within the National Airspace System. <HD SOURCE="HD1">History</HD> The FAA published a NPRM for Docket No. FAA 2025-0668 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (87 FR 20136; May 12, 2025), proposing to establish RNAV Routes Q-190 and T-497; and amend domestic VOR Federal Airways V-1, V-70, and V-194, in the eastern United States. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. One comment was received, which stated that the geographic coordinates for the Elizabeth City, NC (ECG), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) listed in the route description for RNAV Route T-497 were incorrect. Upon review, the FAA discovered that all geographic coordinates listed in the route description of RNAV Route T-497 were erroneous. This final rule corrects these errors by correcting the geographic coordinates to match the FAA's National Airspace System Resource (NASR) database information for each point. Additionally, the FAA verified that the route points that define RNAV Route T-497 were listed correctly as intended. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Differences From the NPRM</HD> Subsequent to publication of the NPRM, on August 7, 2025, the FAGED, VA, Fix was changed to the FAGED, VA, waypoint (WP) due to the route point no longer being defined by ground-based Navigational Aid (NAVAID) radials. This final rule refers to the FAGED, VA, route point as a WP. This change is ministerial in nature, and does not alter airspace boundaries or impose additional requirements on regulated parties. Accordingly, the FAA finds good cause that recirculating the proposal for notice and comment is unnecessary. Additionally, subsequent to publication of the NPRM, the FAA published a final rule for Docket No. FAA-2024-2512 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (90 FR 21408; May 20, 2025), amending VOR Federal Airway V-1. That final rule amended VOR Federal Airway V-1 by removing the airway segments between the Norfolk, VA (ORF), VORTAC and the Waterloo, DE (ATR), VOR/DME due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Salisbury, MD (SBY), VORTAC. That final rule also added language to the route description that the airway excludes restricted area R-5002F, as it is adjacent to VOR Federal Airway V-1, and removed language that the airway excludes restricted area R-4006, as it will no longer be adjacent to VOR Federal Airway V-1 as amended. Changes made by that airway amendment, effective August 7, 2025, are incorporated into this action. They do not result in material differences from the original proposal, nor do they impose additional requirements on users of the airway. Accordingly, the FAA finds good cause that recirculating the proposal for notice and comment is unnecessary. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Incorporation by Reference</HD> United States Area Navigation Routes are published in paragraphs 2006 and 6011, and Domestic VOR Federal Airways are published in paragraph 6010(a), 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 7400.11K, dated August 4, 2025, and effective September 15, 2025. These amendments will be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11. FAA Order JO 7400.11K, 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 establishing RNAV Routes Q-190 and T-497; and amending domestic VOR Federal Airways V-1, V-70, and V-194, to support the planned decommissioning of the Cofield, NC (CVI), VORTAC. This action is in support of the FAA's VOR MON Program. <E T="03">Q-190:</E> Q-190 is a new RNAV route that extends between the Carleton, MI (CRL), VOR/DME and the PONCT, NY, WP. The route overlays Jet Route J-190 between the Carleton VOR/DME and the PONCT WP. This new route provides RNAV connectivity between the Detroit, MI, area and the Albany, NY, area. <E T="03">V-1:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-1 extended between the Craig, FL (CRG), VORTAC and the Norfolk, VA (ORF), VORTAC; and between the Waterloo, DE (ATR), VOR/DME and the Boston, MA (BOS), VOR/DME. The portions within R-5002A, R-5002C, R-5002D, and R-5002F are excluded during their times of designation. The FAA removes the airway segments between the Kinston, NC (ISO), VORTAC and the Norfolk VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Cofield, NC (CVI), VORTAC. As amended, the airway extends between the Craig VORTAC and the Kinston VORTAC; and between the Waterloo VOR/DME and the Boston VOR/DME. The portions within R-5002A, R-5002C, R-5002D, and R-5002F are excluded during their times of designation. <E T="03">V-70:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-70 extended between Monterrey, Mexico, and the Picayune, MS (PCU), VOR/DME; between the Monroeville, AL (MVC), VORTAC and the Allendale, SC (ALD), VOR; and between the Grand Strand, SC (CRE), VORTAC and the Cofield, NC (CVI), VORTAC. The airspace within Mexico is excluded. The FAA removes the airway segments between the Kinston, NC (ISO), VORTAC and the Cofield VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Cofield VORTAC. As amended, the airway extends between Monterrey, Mexico, and the Picayune VOR/DME; between the Monroeville VORTAC and the Allendale VOR; and between the Grand Strand VORTAC and the Kinston VORTAC. The airspace within Mexico remains excluded. <E T="03">V-194:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-194 extended between the Cedar Creek, TX (CQY), VORTAC and the College Station, TX (CLL), VORTAC; between the Sabine Pass, TX (SBI), VOR/DME and the Meridian, MS (MEI), VORTAC; and between the Liberty, NC (LIB), VORTAC and the intersection of the Cofield, NC (CVI), VORTAC 077° and the Norfolk, VA (ORF), VORTAC 209° radials (SUNNS Fix). The FAA removes the airway segments between the Tar River, NC (TYI), VORTAC and the SUNNS Fix due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Cofield VORTAC. As amended, the airway extends between the Cedar Creek VORTAC and the College Station VORTAC; between the Sabine Pass VOR/DME and the Meridian VORTAC; and between the Liberty VORTAC and the Tar River VORTAC. <E T="03">T-497:</E> T-497 is a new RNAV route that extends between the Elizabeth City, NC (ECG), VOR/DME and the FAGED, VA, WP. The route overlays VOR Federal Airway V-286 between the OUTLA, VA, WP and the FAGED, VA, WP. The new route provides RNAV connectivity between the Elizabeth City, NC, area and the Warsaw, VA, are ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 18k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━