[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 24905-24908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08890]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment and Establishment of Air Traffic Service (ATS) 
Routes; South Central United States

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) 
Federal airways V-198, V-212, V-556, and V-558; amend Area Navigation 
(RNAV) route T-256; and establish RNAV route T-466. The FAA is 
proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR 
portion of the Eagle Lake, TX (ELA), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment 
(VOR/DME) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Eagle Lake VOR is being 
decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network 
(MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 13, 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: 
1(800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1 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.

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

[[Page 24906]]

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

    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-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1) 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-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1.'' 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 
Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177.

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 FAA is planning to decommission the Eagle Lake, TX, VOR in 
December 2022. The Eagle Lake 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 
of July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA-2011-1082.
    Although the VOR portion of the Eagle Lake VOR/DME is planned for 
decommissioning, the co-located DME portion of the NAVAID is being 
retained to support NextGen PBN flight procedure requirements.
    The ATS routes effected by the Eagle Lake VOR decommissioning are 
VOR Federal airways V-198, V-212, V-556, and V-558, and RNAV route T-
256. The V-198, V-556, V-558, and T-256 ATS routes are affected 
directly with the Eagle Lake VOR being included in the route 
descriptions. Whereas, V-212 is affected based on the navigational 
guidance the Eagle Lake VOR provides to a segment of the airway between 
the extended service volume limit of the San Antonio, TX, VOR/Tactical 
Air Navigation (VORTAC) NAVAID (SEEDS fix) and the intersection of the 
San Antonio VORTAC and the Industry, TX, VORTAC radials (WEMAR fix). 
Except for T-256, the planned decommissioning of the Eagle Lake VOR 
results in the remaining ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area being 
insufficient to enable the continuity of the affected ATS routes. As 
such, modifications to V-198 and V-556 would result in creating or 
extending gaps in the airways and modifications to V-212 and V-558 
would result in the airways being shortened. And, modifications to T-
256 would include the Eagle Lake VOR/DME route point being removed from 
the route description.
    To overcome the affected ATS route gaps or removed segments, 
instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use portions of adjacent 
VOR Federal airways V-68 and V-222 to circumnavigate the affected area, 
or receive air traffic control (ATC) radar vectors to fly through the 
affected area. Additionally, IFR pilots equipped with RNAV capabilities 
could use T-200, T-220, and T-256, and the new T-466 proposed in this 
action, or navigate point to point using the existing fixes that would 
remain in place to support continued operations though the affected 
area. Visual flight rules (VFR) pilots who elect to navigate via the 
affected ATS routes could also take advantage of the adjacent ATS 
routes or ATC services listed previously.
    Further, the FAA proposes to establish RNAV route T-466 between the 
San Angelo, TX, VORTAC and Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/DME. The proposed T-
route would overlay the existing V-556 and, in part, mitigate the 
proposed removal of the V-556 segment between the Stonewall, TX, VORTAC 
and the Scholes, TX, VOR/DME. The new T-route would provide airspace 
users equipped with RNAV capabilities an enroute structure between the 
San Angelo, TX, area southeastward to the Galveston, TX, area and then 
northeastward to the Beaumont, TX, area, by transiting north of the San 
Antonio, TX, and New Braunfels, TX, areas and south of the Houston, TX, 
area. Lastly, the new T-route would support the FAA's NextGen efforts 
to modernize the NAS navigation system from a ground-based system to a 
satellite-based system.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend VOR 
Federal airways V-198, V-212, V-556, and V-558; amend RNAV route T-256; 
and establish RNAV route T-466 due to the planned decommissioning of 
the

[[Page 24907]]

Eagle Lake, TX, VOR. The proposed ATS route actions are described 
below.
    V-198: V-198 currently extends between the San Simon, AZ, VORTAC 
and the Eagle Lake, TX, VOR/DME; and between the Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/
DME and the Craig, FL, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the route 
segment between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC and the Eagle Lake, TX, 
VOR/DME. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as 
charted.
    V-212: V-212 currently extends between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC 
and the Mc Comb, MS, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC and the Industry, TX, 
VORTAC. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as 
charted.
    V-556: V-556 currently extends between the San Angelo, TX, VORTAC 
and the Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Stonewall, TX, VORTAC and the Scholes, TX, VOR/DME. 
The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-558: V-558 currently extends between the Llano, TX, VORTAC and 
the Eagle Lake, TX, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Industry, TX, VORTAC and the Eagle Lake, TX, VOR/
DME. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as 
charted.
    T-256: T-256 currently extends between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC 
and the Sabine, TX, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the Eagle Lake, 
TX, VOR/DME route point from the description as it is on a straight 
segment of the route and does not change the route structure between 
the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC and the MOLLR, TX, waypoint (WP). 
Additionally, the FAA proposes to add a RNAV route segment overlaying 
V-194 between the Sabine, TX, VOR/DME and the DAFLY, LA, WP being 
established near the Lafayette, LA, VORTAC. The full route legal 
description is listed in ``The Proposed Amendment'' section, below.
    T-466: T-466 is a proposed new RNAV route that would extend between 
the San Angelo, TX, VORTAC and the Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/DME. The T-
route would overlay the current V-556 and, in part, mitigate the 
proposed removal of the V-556 segment between the Stonewall, TX, VORTAC 
and the Scholes, TX, VOR/DME. The new route would provide RNAV routing 
between the San Angelo, TX, area southeastward to the Galveston, TX, 
area and then northeastward to the Beaumont, TX, area. The full route 
legal description is listed in ``The Proposed Amendment'' section, 
below.
    All NAVAID radials listed in the VOR Federal airway descriptions 
below are unchanged and stated in True degrees.
    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a), and RNAV T-
routes are published in paragraph 6011 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 ATS routes 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:

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 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-198 [Amended]

    From San Simon, AZ; Columbus, NM; El Paso, TX; 6 miles wide INT 
El Paso 109[deg] and Hudspeth, TX, 287[deg] radials; 6 miles wide 
Hudspeth; 29 miles, 38 miles 82 MSL INT Hudspeth 109[deg] and Fort 
Stockton, TX, 284[deg] radials; 18 miles 82 MSL Fort Stockton; 20 
miles, 116 miles 55 MSL Junction, TX; to San Antonio, TX. From 
Sabine Pass, TX; White Lake, LA; Tibby, LA; Harvey, LA; 69 miles, 33 
miles 25 MSL Brookley, AL; INT Brookley 056[deg] and Crestview, FL, 
266[deg] radials; Crestview; Marianna, FL; Seminole, FL; Greenville, 
FL; Taylor, FL; INT Taylor 093[deg] and Craig, FL, 287[deg] radials; 
to Craig.
* * * * *

V-212 [Amended]

    From Industry, TX; Navasota, TX; INT Navasota 019[deg] and 
Lufkin, TX, 250[deg] radials; Lufkin; Alexandria, LA; to Mc Comb, 
MS.
* * * * *

V-556 [Amended]

    From San Angelo, TX; INT San Angelo 181[deg] and Junction, TX, 
310[deg] radials; Junction; to Stonewall, TX. From Scholes, TX; to 
Sabine Pass, TX.
* * * * *

V-558 [Amended]

    From Llano, TX; INT Llano 088[deg] and Centex, TX, 306[deg] 
radials; Centex; to Industry, TX.
* * * * *

Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.

* * * * *

T-256 San Antonio, TX (SAT) to DAFLY, LA [Amended]
San Antonio, TX (SAT)           VORTAC             (Lat. 29[deg]38'38.51'' N, long. 098[deg]27'40.74'' W)
MOLLR, TX                       WP                 (Lat. 29[deg]39'20.23'' N, long. 095[deg]16'35.83'' W)
Sabine Pass, TX (SBI)           VOR/DME            (Lat. 29[deg]41'12.19'' N, long. 094[deg]02'16.72'' W)

[[Page 24908]]

 
DAFLY, LA                       WP                 (Lat. 30[deg]11'37.70'' N, long. 091[deg]59'33.94'' W)
 

* * * * *

T-466 San Angelo, TX (SJT) to Sabine Pass, TX (SBI) [New]
San Angelo, TX (SJT)            VORTAC             (Lat. 31[deg]22'29.84'' N, long. 100[deg]27'17.53'' W)
CHILD, TX                       WP                 (Lat. 31[deg]03'41.17'' N, long. 100[deg]27'40.62'' W)
Junction, TX (JCT)              VORTAC             (Lat. 30[deg]35'52.88'' N, long. 099[deg]49'02.93'' W)
BETTI, TX                       FIX                (Lat. 29[deg]57'54.97'' N, long. 098[deg]03'23.98'' W)
MARCS, TX                       FIX                (Lat. 29[deg]53'52.04'' N, long. 097[deg]51'40.70'' W)
SEEDS, TX                       FIX                (Lat. 29[deg]39'31.94'' N, long. 097[deg]14'58.66'' W)
LDRET, TX                       WP                 (Lat. 29[deg]39'44.93'' N, long. 096[deg]19'00.96'' W)
KEEDS, TX                       WP                 (Lat. 29[deg]21'59.49'' N, long. 095[deg]36'48.98'' W)
Scholes, TX (VUH)               VOR/DME            (Lat. 29[deg]16'09.60'' N, long. 094[deg]52'03.81'' W)
Sabine Pass, TX (SBI)           VOR/DME            (Lat. 29[deg]41'12.19'' N, long. 094[deg]02'16.72'' W)
 


    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 21, 2022.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2022-08890 Filed 4-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P