[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 115 (Monday, June 15, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 36172-36174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12778]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 115 / Monday, June 15, 2020 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 36172]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0512; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-10]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Establishment of Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes T-301 and 
T-305; Northcentral United States

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish area navigation (RNAV) 
routes T-301 and T-305 in the northcentral United States. The proposed 
new RNAV routes would expand the availability of RNAV routing in 
support of transitioning the National Airspace System (NAS) from 
ground-based to satellite-based navigation. Additionally, a portion of 
the new RNAV routes would provide enroute structure where VHF 
Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airway segments were removed due to 
the Cape Girardeau, MO, VOR being decommissioned in support of the 
FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 30, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590; telephone: 
(800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2020-0512; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-10 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and 
subsequent amendments can be viewed online at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. For further information, you can contact the 
Rules and Regulations Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783. The Order is also available for inspection at the National 
Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the 
availability of FAA Order 7400.11D at NARA, email: 
[email protected] or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Abbott, Rules and Regulations 
Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority for This Rulemaking

    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 would expand the availability of RNAV in the 
northcentral United States and improve the efficient flow of air 
traffic within the NAS by lessening the dependency on ground-based 
navigation.

Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed 
rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they 
may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the 
views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing 
reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are 
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal.
    Communications should identify both docket numbers (FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2020-0512; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-10) and be submitted in 
triplicate to the Docket Management Facility (see ADDRESSES section for 
address and phone number). You may also submit comments through the 
internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
    Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments 
on this action must submit with those comments a self-addressed, 
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments 
to FAA Docket No. FAA-2020-0512; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-10.'' The 
postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.
    All communications received on or before the specified comment 
closing date will be considered before taking action on the proposed 
rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of 
comments received. All comments submitted will be available for 
examination in the public docket both before and after the comment 
closing date. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with 
FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the 
docket.

Availability of NPRMs

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the 
internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/.
    You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any 
comments received and any final disposition in person in the Dockets 
Office (see ADDRESSES section for address and phone number) between 
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal 
holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal 
business hours at the office of the Operations Support Group, Central 
Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Blvd., 
Fort Worth, TX 76177.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and effective 
September 15, 2019. FAA Order

[[Page 36173]]

7400.11D is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of 
this document. FAA Order 7400.11D lists Class A, B, C, D, and E 
airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

Background

    In 2003, Congress enacted the Vision 100--Century of Aviation 
Reauthorization Act (Pub. L. 108-176), which established a joint 
planning and development office in the FAA to manage the work related 
to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Today, 
NextGen is an ongoing FAA-led modernization of the nation's air 
transportation system to make flying safer, more efficient, and more 
predictable.
    In support of NextGen efforts to improve the safety and efficiency 
of the NAS, as well as transition the NAS from a ground-based to a 
satellite-based Performance Based Navigation (PBN) system, the FAA is 
proposing to establish RNAV routes T-301 and T-305 to provide 
additional PBN enroute structure. This action would reduce air traffic 
control (ATC) sector workload and complexity, reduce pilot-to-
controller communication, assist ATC when non-radar procedures are 
required, and increase NAS capacity in the areas of the new RNAV T-
routes.
    Additionally, portions of the proposed T-routes would mitigate 
previously removed airway segments from VOR Federal airways V-125 and 
V-313 in the Cape Girardeau, MO, area due to the planned 
decommissioning of the Cape Girardeau, MO, VOR in July 2020, as well as 
supplement existing Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes beyond the Cape 
Girardeau area. The new T-routes would also provide Instrument Flight 
Rules (IFR) pilots that are equipped for RNAV PBN additional ATS route 
options for navigating around areas of heavy aviation activity and in 
areas of limited or no radar coverage. Visual Flight Rules (VFR) 
pilots, equipped with RNAV PBN, who elect to navigate via ATS routes, 
could also take advantage of the proposed RNAV T-routes.
    The proposed T-301 would provide RNAV routing from the Cape 
Girardeau, MO, area; through the Centralia, IL, and Springfield, IL, 
areas; to the Peoria, IL, area. Similarly, the proposed T-305 would 
provide RNAV routing from the Cape Girardeau, MO, area; through the 
Sparta, IL, and Vandalia, IL, areas; to the Terra Haute, IN, area.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to establish RNAV routes T-301 and T-305. 
The proposed new T-routes are described below.
    T-301: T-301 is a proposed new RNAV route that would extend between 
the Cape Girardeau, MO, DME and the Peoria, IL, VORTAC. This T-route 
would provide enroute routing in place of the recently removed V-313 
airway segment between the Cape Girardeau, MO, DME and the Centralia, 
IL, VORTAC; enroute routing adjacent to the existing V-67 airway 
segments between the Centralia, IL, VORTAC and the Spinner, IL, VORTAC; 
and enroute routing over the existing V-129 airway segment between the 
Spinner, IL, VORTAC and the Peoria, IL, VORTAC.
    T-305: T-305 is a proposed new RNAV route that would extend between 
the Cape Girardeau, MO, DME and the JIBKA, IN, waypoint. This T-route 
would provide enroute routing adjacent to and slightly beyond the 
recently removed V-125 airway segment between the Cape Girardeau, MO, 
DME and the NIKEL fix; routing to transition northeastward to the 
TYMME, IL, waypoint (new) located near the Vandalia, IL, VORTAC; and 
enroute routing adjacent to the V-14 airway segments between the 
Vandalia, IL, VORTAC and the Terra Haute, IN, VORTAC to the JIBKA, IN, 
waypoint (new) located approximately one nautical mile northwest of the 
Terra Haute VORTAC.
    United States RNAV T-routes are published in paragraph 6011 of FAA 
Order 7400.11D, dated August 8, 2019, and effective September 15, 2019, 
which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The RNAV routes 
listed in this document would be subsequently published in the Order.
    FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is 
published yearly and effective on September 15.

Regulatory Notices and Analyses

    The FAA has determined that this proposed 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 
Department of Transportation (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 will only affect air traffic 
procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this proposed rule, 
when promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

    This proposal will be subject to an environmental analysis in 
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies 
and Procedures'' prior to any FAA final regulatory action.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

    Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).

The Proposed Amendment

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation 
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as follows:

PART 71--DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR 
TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 71 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 
10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.


Sec.  71.1   [Amended]

0
2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11D, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019 and 
effective September 15, 2019, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.

* * * * *

                                                T-301 Cape Girardeau, MO (CGI) to Peoria, IL (PIA) [New]
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Cape Girardeau, MO (CGI)                          DME                           (Lat. 37[deg]13'39.14'' N, long. 089[deg]34'20.68'' W)
Centralia, IL (ENL)                               VORTAC                        (Lat. 38[deg]25'12.00'' N, long. 089[deg]09'32.39'' W)
TYMME, IL                                         WP                            (Lat. 39[deg]05'38.35'' N, long. 089[deg]09'43.71'' W)
Spinner, IL (SPI)                                 VORTAC                        (Lat. 39[deg]50'23.04'' N, long. 089[deg]40'39.85'' W)
Peoria, IL (PIA)                                  VORTAC                        (Lat. 40[deg]40'48.25'' N, long. 089[deg]47'33.91'' W)
 
 

[[Page 36174]]

 
                                                                      * * * * * * *
                                                    T-305 Cape Girardeau, MO (CGI) to JIBKA, IN [New]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cape Girardeau, MO (CGI)                          DME                           (Lat. 37[deg]13'39.14'' N, long. 089[deg]34'20.68'' W)
AMART, IL                                         WP                            (Lat. 38[deg]11'06.83'' N, long. 089[deg]47'24.15'' W)
TYMME, IL                                         WP                            (Lat. 39[deg]05'38.35'' N, long. 089[deg]09'43.71'' W)
DELCO, IL                                         WP                            (Lat. 39[deg]21'22.57'' N, long. 087[deg]54'39.56'' W)
JIBKA, IN                                         WP                            (Lat. 39[deg]30'08.93'' N, long. 087[deg]16'26.74'' W)
 

* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2020-12778 Filed 6-12-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P