[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 89344-89346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28381]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2023-2483; Airspace Docket No. 23-AGL-24]
RIN 2120-AA66


Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-48, V-52, V-216, and V-434, 
and Revocation of VOR Federal Airway V-206 in the Vicinity of Ottumwa, 
IA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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

SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Very High Frequency 
Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-48, V-52, V-216, and V-
434, and revoke VOR Federal Airway V-206. The FAA is proposing this 
action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the 
Ottumwa, IA (OTM), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) 
navigational aid (NAVAID). The Ottumwa VOR is being decommissioned in 
support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by FAA Docket No. FAA-2023-2483 and 
Airspace Docket No. 23-AGL-24 using any of the following methods:
    * Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and follow 
the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.
    * Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, West 
Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    * Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in 
Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.
    * Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.

[[Page 89345]]

    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions for 
accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of 
the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    FAA Order JO 7400.11H, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, 
and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. You may also contact the Rules and 
Regulations Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, 
800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.

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 modify the National Airspace System (NAS) as 
necessary to preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic.

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this 
rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. Comments are 
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal. The most 
helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain 
the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. To 
ensure the docket does not contain duplicate comments, commenters 
should submit only one time if comments are filed electronically, or 
commenters should send only one copy of written comments if comments 
are filed in writing.
    The FAA will file in the docket all comments it receives, as well 
as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA 
personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this 
proposal, the FAA will consider all comments it receives on or before 
the closing date for comments. The FAA will consider comments filed 
after the comment period has closed if it is possible to do so without 
incurring expense or delay. The FAA may change this proposal in light 
of the comments it receives.
    Privacy: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments 
from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts 
these comments, without edit, including any personal information the 
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.

Availability of Rulemaking Documents

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the 
internet at www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at 
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 
Operations office (see ADDRESSES section for address, phone number, and 
hours of operations). 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 
Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177.

Incorporation by Reference

    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 proposes to amend the current version of that order, FAA Order 
JO 7400.11H, dated August 11, 2023, and effective September 15, 2023. 
These updates would be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 
7400.11. That order is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this document.
    FAA Order JO 7400.11H lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, 
air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

Background

    The FAA is planning to decommission the Ottumwa, IA, VOR in 
September 2024. The Ottumwa VOR was one of the candidate VORs 
identified for discontinuance by the FAA's VOR MON program and listed 
in the final policy statement notice, ``Provision of Navigation 
Services for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) 
Transition to Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) (Plan for Establishing 
a VOR Minimum Operational Network),'' published in the Federal Register 
on July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA-2011-1082.
    Although the VOR portion of the Ottumwa, IA, VOR/DME is planned for 
decommissioning, the co-located Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) will 
be retained to support current and future Area Navigation (RNAV) 
procedure requirements.
    The VOR Federal Airways affected by the Ottumwa VOR decommissioning 
are V-48, V-52, V-206, V-216, and V-434. With the planned 
decommissioning of the Ottumwa VOR, the remaining ground-based NAVAID 
coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the continuity of the 
affected airways. As such, proposed modifications to V-48, V-52, and V-
434 would result in the airways being shortened; to V-216 would result 
in an existing gap in the airway being expanded; and to V-206 would 
result in the airway being revoked.
    To address the proposed modifications to the affected VOR Federal 
Airways, instrument flight rules (IFR) pilots may circumnavigate the 
affected area by using adjacent VOR Federal Airways V-6, V-8, V-10, V-
67, and V-175 or request air traffic control (ATC) radar vectors 
through the affected area. Additionally, IFR pilots operating aircraft 
equipped with RNAV capabilities could navigate point-to-point using the 
existing Fixes and waypoints (WP) that will remain in place to support 
continued operations or use RNAV routes T-251 or T-397 though the 
affected area. Visual flight rules pilots who elect to navigate via the 
affected VOR Federal Airways may also take advantage of the ATC 
services listed previously.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing to amend 14 CFR part 71 to amend VOR Federal 
Airways V-48, V-52, V-216, and V-434, and revoke VOR Federal Airway V-
206. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned 
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Ottumwa, IA,

[[Page 89346]]

VOR/DME. The proposed airway actions are described below.
    V-48: V-48 currently extends between the Ottumwa, IA, VOR/DME and 
the Pontiac, IL, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
between the Ottumwa VOR/DME and the Burlington, IA, VOR/DME. As 
amended, the airway would be changed to extend between the Burlington 
VOR/DME and the Pontiac VOR/DME.
    V-52: V-52 currently extends between the Des Moines, IA, VOR/
Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Ottumwa, IA, VOR/DME; and 
between the St. Louis, MO, VORTAC and the Pocket City, IN, VORTAC. The 
FAA proposes to remove the airway segment between the Des Moines VORTAC 
and the Ottumwa VOR/DME. As amended, the airway would be changed to 
extend between the St. Louis VORTAC and the Pocket City VORTAC.
    V-206: V-206 currently extends between the Napoleon, MO, VORTAC and 
the Ottumwa, IA, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
between the Kirksville, MO, VORTAC and the Ottumwa VOR/DME due to the 
planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Ottumwa VOR/DME. 
Additionally, the FAA proposes to also remove the airway segment 
between the Napoleon VORTAC and the Kirksville VORTAC due to that 
airway segment overlapping V-10 which will remain charted and provide 
navigational guidance between the two NAVAIDs. As amended, the airway 
would be revoked in its entirety.
    V-216: V-216 currently extends between the Lamar, CO, VOR/DME and 
the Mankato, KS, VORTAC; and between the Lamoni, IA, VOR/DME and the 
Janesville, WI, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
between the Lamoni VOR/DME and the Iowa City, IA, VOR/DME. As amended, 
the airway would be changed to extend between the Lamar VOR/DME and the 
Mankato VORTAC and between the Iowa City VOR/DME and the Janesville 
VOR/DME.
    V-434: V-434 currently extends between the Ottumwa, IA, VOR/DME and 
the Brickyard, IN, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Ottumwa VOR/DME and the Moline, IL, VOR/DME. As 
amended, the airway would be changed to extend between the Moline VOR/
DME and the Brickyard VORTAC.
    The NAVAID radials listed in the VOR Federal Airway descriptions in 
the proposed regulatory text of this NPRM are unchanged and stated in 
degrees True north.

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 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 14 CFR 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 JO 
7400.11H, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 11, 
2023, and effective September 15, 2023, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-48 [Amended]

    From Burlington, IA; Peoria, IL; to Pontiac, IL.
* * * * *

V-52 [Amended]

    From St Louis, MO; Troy, IL; INT Troy 099[deg] and Pocket City, 
IN, 311[deg] radials; to Pocket City.
* * * * *

V-206 [Removed]

* * * * *

V-216 [Amended]

    From Lamar, CO; Hill City, KS; to Mankato, KS. From Iowa City, 
IA; INT Iowa City 062[deg] and Janesville, WI, 240[deg] radials; to 
Janesville.
* * * * *

V-434 [Amended]

    From Moline, IL; Peoria, IL; Champaign, IL; to Brickyard, IN.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 19, 2023.
Frank Lias,
Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2023-28381 Filed 12-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P