[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 165 (Monday, August 30, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48345-48346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18515]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 165 / Monday, August 30, 2021 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 48345]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0676; Airspace Docket No. 21-AWP-33]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of United States Area Navigation Route (RNAV) 
Q-15; Western United States

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend United States Area Navigation 
route (RNAV) Q-15 in order to safely segregate overflight, arrival and 
departure traffic, and military operations in the high altitude 
airspace between Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 14, 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-2021-0676; Airspace Docket No. 21-AWP-33 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: 
fr.inspection@nara.gov 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 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-
2021-0676; Airspace Docket No. 21-AWP-33) 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-2021-0676; Airspace Docket No. 21-AWP-33.'' 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 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 document. FAA Order 7400.11E lists 
Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and 
reporting points.

[[Page 48346]]

Background

    One of the main responsibilities of the Los Angeles Air Route 
Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) (ZLA) is separating and sequencing en 
route, arrival, and departure traffic in the vicinity of Las Vegas, NV. 
The operational complexity of this airspace is affected not only by 
traffic volume, but by the airspace limitations imposed by the large 
amount of Special Use Airspace (SUA) in the Desert Southwest.
    RNAV route Q-13 is the primary route utilized for Phoenix, AZ (PHX) 
arrivals from the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and the Pacific 
Northwest, including Alaska and Canada. The letter of agreement (LOA) 
between ZLA and Albuquerque ARTCC (ZAB) requires that aircraft handed 
off to ZAB at or below FL290. There has been a significant increase in 
traffic filing Q-13 traveling northwest, which has caused increased 
complexity for arrivals landing at PHX.
    RNAV route Q-15 currently terminates at CHILY, just west of 
Prescott Regional airport (PRC) Prescott, AZ. The intention of 
extending Q-15 from CHILY to NABOB is to provide air traffic 
controllers, through automation and industry outreach, one direction 
airways in that area for Q-13 and Q-15 between waypoints where both 
would intersect between NABOB and HOUZZ. This proposal would allow 
traffic traveling southeast from HOUZZ to NABOB to utilize RNAV route 
Q-13 and traffic traveling northwest to utilize RNAV route Q-15, 
allowing for a smoother traffic flow in that area.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend RNAV 
route Q-15 in order to safely segregate overflight, arrival and 
departure traffic, and military operations in the high altitude 
airspace between Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ. The full legal 
description are included in the Rule section below.
    Q-15: Q-15 currently extends from CHILY to LOMIA. The FAA proposes 
to add an extension to the route from NABOB to CHILY. The rest of the 
route will remain unchanged.
    RNAV routes are published in paragraph 6009 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 route listed in this 
document would be published subsequently 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 2006 United States Area Navigation Routes.

* * * * *

Q-15 NABOB, AZ to LOMIA, NV [Amend]

NABOB, AZ FIX
    (Lat. 34[deg]19'40.60'' N, long. 111[deg]18'53.90'' W)
CHILY, AZ WP
    (Lat. 34[deg]42'48.61'' N, long. 112[deg]45'42.27'' W)
DOVEE, NV WP
    (Lat. 35[deg]26'51.07'' N, long. 114[deg]48'00.94'' W)
SOTOO, NV WP
    (Lat. 36[deg]17'22.55'' N, long. 116[deg]13'14.12'' W)
HOUZZ, NV WP
    (Lat. 36[deg]36'43.75'' N, long. 116[deg]36'37.60'' W)
FUULL, NV WP
    (Lat. 37[deg]16'52.93'' N, long. 117[deg]10'13.96'' W)
SKANN, NV WP
    (Lat. 37[deg]22'52.68'' N, long. 117[deg]15'54.53'' W)
LOMIA, NV WP
    (Lat. 39[deg]13'11.57'' N, long. 119[deg]06'22.95'' W)
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 24, 2021.
George Gonzalez,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2021-18515 Filed 8-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


