Proposed Revocation of Colored Federal Airways Blue 7 (B-7) and Green 9 (G-9); Bethel, AK

Citation87 FR 13663
Record Number2022-05036
Published date10 March 2022
CourtFederal Aviation Administration
Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2022)
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2022)]
                [Proposed Rules]
                [Pages 13663-13665]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2022-05036]
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                DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                Federal Aviation Administration
                14 CFR Part 71
                [Docket No. FAA-2022-0186; Airspace Docket No. 22-AAL-6]
                RIN 2120-AA66
                Proposed Revocation of Colored Federal Airways Blue 7 (B-7) and
                Green 9 (G-9); Bethel, AK
                AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
                ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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                SUMMARY: This action proposes to revoke Colored Federal airways Blue 7
                (B-7) and Green 9 (G-9) in the vicinity of Bethel, AK due to the
                pending decommissioning of the Oscarville, AK, (OSE) Non-directional
                Beacon (NDB).
                DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 25, 2022.
                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-2022-0186; Airspace Docket No. 22-AAL-6 at the beginning of your
                comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
                 FAA Order JO 7400.11F, 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. FAA Order JO 7400.11F is also available for inspection at the
                National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on
                the availability of FAA Order JO 7400.11F at NARA, email:
                [email protected] or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher McMullin, 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
                [[Page 13664]]
                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 route structure as necessary to
                preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic within the National
                Airspace System (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-2022-0186; Airspace Docket No. 22-AAL-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-2022-0186; Airspace Docket No. 22-AAL-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 NPRM
                 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, Western
                Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th St.,
                Des Moines, WA 98198.
                Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference
                 This document proposes to amend FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace
                Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 10, 2021, and effective
                September 15, 2021. FAA Order JO 7400.11F is publicly available as
                listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11F
                lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service
                routes, and reporting points.
                Background
                 The aviation industry/users have indicated a desire for the FAA to
                transition the Alaskan en route navigation structure away from the
                dependency on NDBs. The advances in technology have allowed for
                alternate navigation methods to support decommissioning of high cost
                ground navigation equipment. The FAA has included OSE on their schedule
                to be decommissioned. A non-rulemaking study was conducted in
                accordance with FAA Order JO 7400.2, Procedures for Handling Airspace
                Matters. As a result, the FAA received no objections to its removal.
                 Colored Federal airways B-7 and G-9 are dependent on OSE and will
                result in the airways being unusable once decommissioning occurs.
                Therefore, the FAA is proposing to revoke B-7 and G-9. The proposed
                revocation of B-7 can be mitigated currently by utilizing VHF
                Omnidirectional Radar (VOR) Federal airways V-462 and V-350 and in the
                future the FAA will propose a United States Area Navigation (RNAV)
                route to overlay the current B-7. The proposed revocation of G-9 is
                mitigated by VOR Federal airway V-319 and RNAV route T-269 that
                currently overlay the route.
                The Proposal
                 The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to revoke
                Colored Federal airways B-7 and G-9 in the vicinity of Bethel, AK due
                to the decommissioning of OSE.
                 B-7: B-7 currently navigates between the Cape Newenham, AK, NDB and
                OSE. The FAA proposes to revoke the route in its entirety.
                 G-9: G-9 currently navigates between OSE and the Cairn Mountain,
                AK, NDB. The FAA proposes to revoke the route in its entirety.
                 Colored Federal airways are published in paragraph 6009(a) and
                6009(d) of FAA Order JO 7400.11F dated August 10, 2021 and effective
                September 15, 2021, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1.
                The Colored Federal airways listed in this document would be published
                subsequently in FAA Order JO 7400.11.
                 FAA Order JO 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:
                [[Page 13665]]
                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
                7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 10,
                2021, and effective September 15, 2021, is amended as follows:
                Paragraph 6009(a) Colored Federal Airways
                * * * * *
                G-9 [Remove]
                * * * * *
                Paragraph 6009(d) Colored Federal Airways
                * * * * *
                B-7 [Remove]
                * * * * *
                 Issued in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2022.
                Scott M. Rosenbloom,
                Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations.
                [FR Doc. 2022-05036 Filed 3-9-22; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
                

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