Federal Aviation Administration October 11, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is suspending further implementation of the December 2010 ROD for the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) CEP. Due to unforeseen changes in operations at PHL, several of the airfield capacity enhancing components identified in the CEP ROD are not needed at this time. When the CEP ROD was issued, operations at PHL were forecasted to reach 555,112 in 2016 and 699,799 in 2025. PHL was consistently ranked as one of the most delayed airports in the nation. Delays at PHL contributed to delays throughout the region and across the nation and were resulting in substantial costs in time and money for passengers and airlines. However, unforeseen changes in the aviation industry and aircraft activity have resulted in considerably less activity at PHL. Actual operations at PHL in 2016 were 394,022, nearly thirty percent lower than originally forecasted. PHL is no longer experiencing severe congestion or significant delays. Over recent years, there has been no indication or reason to believe that forecasted operations and associated delays at PHL will reach the level experienced at the time FAA approved the CEP ROD. Since there is no longer a foreseeable need for additional capacity at PHL, the airport sponsor, the City of Philadelphia, has elected to postpone several of the major components of CEP, including construction of the new southern runway and the extension of Runway 8/26. In support of this decision, the FAA is suspending the ROD for the PHL CEP. Projects currently underway will continue to completion. As circumstances change and new projects are proposed, environmental analyses for those projects will be conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

This action establishes Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Big Timber Airport, Big Timber, MT, to accommodate the development of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations under standard instrument approach and departure procedures at the airport, for the safety and management of aircraft within the National Airspace System.

This action modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Sunriver Airport, Sunriver, OR, to accommodate airspace redesign for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations within the National Airspace System.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-1A11 (CL-600), CL-600-2A12 (CL-601 Variant), and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A and CL-601-3R Variants) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of laminated shims that may have been improperly installed at a certain wing tie beam. This AD requires revising the maintenance or inspection program to incorporate certification maintenance requirement tasks that introduce revised checks of the tie beam. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A319 series airplanes, Model A320-211, -212, -214, -231, - 232, and -233 airplanes, and Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, - 213, -231, and -232 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a runway excursion due to an unexpected thrust increase leading to an unstable approach performed using the current flight management and guidance computer (FMGC) standard. This AD requires identification of potentially affected FMGCs, replacement of any affected FMGC, and applicable concurrent actions. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.