Proposed Amendment of Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes; Northeast United States, 27326-27327 [2021-10444]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 96 (Thursday, May 20, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27326-27327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10444]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0360; Airspace Docket No. 21-AEA-6]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes; Northeast 
United States

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend VOR Federal airways V-39 and V-
93 in support of the Northeast Corridor Atlantic Coast Route (NEC ACR), 
and the VOR Minimum Operational Network (VOR MON) Projects.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 6, 2021.

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: 1 
(800) 647-5527 or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. FAA-
2021-0360; Airspace Docket No. 21-AEA-6 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order 7400.11E, 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 7400.11E at NARA, email: 
[email protected] or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Gallant, 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 amend ATS routes to improve the efficiency of the 
NAS.

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-2021-0360; Airspace Docket No. 21-AEA-6) 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-2121-0360; Airspace Docket No. 21-AEA-6.'' 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 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 Eastern Service Center, Federal 
Aviation Administration, Room 210, 1701 Columbia Ave., College Park, GA 
30337.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11E, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and effective 
September 15, 2020. FAA Order 7400.11E is publicly available as listed 
in the ADDRESSES section of this proposed rule. FAA Order 7400.11E 
lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace

[[Page 27327]]

areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

Background

    Federal airways V-39 and V-93 were originally part of a larger 
proposal that was published in the Federal Register for Docket No. FAA-
2020-1146 (86 FR 5046; January 19, 2021). No comments were received in 
response to that NPRM. Subsequent to the publication of the NPRM, an 
FAA flight inspection of an airway fix (defined by the intersection of 
the Barnes, MA (BAF) VORTAC 279[deg], and the Chester, MA (CTR) VOR/DME 
223[deg] radials), could not be completed due to technical reasons. 
Because the fix would be common to both airways, the proposed 
amendments of V-39 and V-93 were removed from Docket No. FAA-2020-1146 
and delayed to a later date in order to address the airway fix issue.
    The FAA determined that the fix defined by the intersection of the 
Barnes, MA, and Chester, MA, radials (described above) could be removed 
from the route descriptions because it did not mark a turn point on the 
routes.
    As a difference from the original NPRM, the FAA proposes to retain 
the affected route segments of V-39 and V-93 to Chester, MA, (as 
described below) rather than ending the route segments prior to 
Chester.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend VOR 
Federal airways V-39 and V-93 as follows.
    V-39: V-39 currently extends between Sandhills, NC, and Mont Joli, 
PQ, Canada. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segments between 
Chester, MA, and Augusta, ME. As amended, V-39 would consist of two 
parts: From Sandhills, NC, to Chester, MA; followed by a gap in the 
route; then from Augusta, ME to Mont Joli, PQ, Canada.
    V-93: V-93 currently consists of two parts: From Patuxent River, 
MD, to the intersection of the Wilkes Barre, PA, 037[deg] and the 
Sparta, NJ, 300[deg] radials; and from the intersection of the Sparta, 
NJ, 018[deg] and the Kingston, NY, 270[deg] radials, to Bangor, ME. 
This action would remove the segments between Chester, MA, and Bangor, 
ME. As amended, V-93 would consist of two parts: From Patuxent River, 
MD, to the intersection of the Wilkes Barre, PA, 037[deg] and the 
Sparta, NJ, 300[deg] radials; followed by a gap; then from the 
intersection of the Sparta, NJ, 018[deg] and the Kingston, NY, 270[deg] 
radials, to Chester, MA.
    Full route descriptions of the proposed amended routes are listed 
in ``The Proposed Amendment'' section of this notice.
    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) of FAA Order 
7400.11E dated July 21, 2020, and effective September 15, 2020, 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 7400.11E, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and 
effective September 15, 2020, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-39 [Amended]

    From Sandhills, NC, South Boston, VA; Gordonsville, VA; INT 
Gordonsville 331[deg] and Martinsburg, WV, 216[deg] radials; 
Martinsburg; Lancaster, PA; East Texas, PA; Sparta, NJ; Carmel, NY; 
INT Carmel 045[deg] and Bridgeport, CT, 343[deg] radials; INT 
Bridgeport 343[deg] and Chester, MA, 223[deg] radials; to Chester, 
MA. From Augusta, ME; Millinocket, ME; Presque Isle, ME; Mont Joli, 
PQ, Canada, excluding the portion within Canada.
* * * * *

V-93 [Amended]

    From Patuxent River, MD, INT Patuxent 013[deg] and Baltimore, 
MD, 122[deg] radials; Baltimore; INT Baltimore 004[deg] and 
Lancaster, PA, 214[deg] radials; Lancaster; Wilkes-Barre, PA; to INT 
Wilkes-Barre 037[deg] and Sparta, NJ 300[deg] radials. From INT 
Sparta 018[deg] and Kingston, NY, 270[deg] radials; Kingston; 
Pawling, NY; to Chester, MA.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 13, 2021.
George Gonzalez,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2021-10444 Filed 5-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P