[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 209 (Monday, October 31, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65546-65547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23074]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2202-1260; Airspace Docket No. 22-ACE-9]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Establishment of Area Navigation (RNAV) Route T-465; 
Northcentral United States

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Area Navigation (RNAV) route 
T-465 in the northcentral United States. The new RNAV routes would 
expand the availability of RNAV routing within the National Airspace 
System (NAS) in support of transitioning it from ground-based to 
satellite-based navigation.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 15, 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-2202-1260; Airspace Docket No. 22-ACE-9 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at 
www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order JO 7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, 
and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at 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 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 expand the availability of RNAV in the 
northcentral United States and improve the efficient flow of air 
traffic within the NAS by lessening the dependency on ground-based 
navigation.

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-2202-1260; Airspace Docket No. 22-ACE-9) 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 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-2202-1260; Airspace Docket No. 22-ACE-9.'' 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 www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at 
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 7400.11G, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 19, 2022, and effective

[[Page 65547]]

September 15, 2022. FAA Order JO 7400.11G is publicly available as 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11G 
lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service 
routes, and reporting points.

Background

    In 2003, Congress enacted the Vision 100--Century of Aviation 
Reauthorization Act (Pub. L. 108-176), which established a joint 
planning and development office in the FAA to manage the work related 
to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Today, 
NextGen is an ongoing FAA-led modernization of the nation's air 
transportation system to make flying safer, more efficient, and more 
predictable.
    In support of NextGen efforts to improve the safety and efficiency 
of the NAS, as well as transition the NAS from a ground-based to a 
satellite-based Performance Based Navigation (PBN) system, the FAA is 
proposing to establish RNAV route T-465 to provide additional enroute 
structure within the NAS. This action would reduce air traffic control 
(ATC) sector workload and complexity, reduce pilot-to-controller 
communications (requests for direct routings), and increase NAS 
capacity and efficiency in the areas of the new RNAV T-route.
    Additionally, the proposed T-465 would provide Instrument Flight 
Rules (IFR) pilots that are equipped for RNAV additional Air Traffic 
Service (ATS) route options for navigating from the Des Moines, IA, 
area to the NITZR, MN, waypoint (WP) located near Morristown, MN. The 
NITZR WP is also located within the primary arrival corridor used by 
the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center to sequence arrival 
air traffic into the Minneapolis Approach Control airspace for arrival 
in the Minneapolis terminal area. Visual Flight Rules (VFR) pilots, 
equipped with RNAV PBN capabilities, who elect to navigate via ATS 
routes, could also take advantage of the proposed T-465.
    Lastly, RNAV equipped aircraft using the proposed T-465 would be 
able to navigate via a more accurate route than is available with 
current published airways and would result in time, fuel, and cost 
savings while also facilitate minimizing carbon emissions produced by 
each aircraft on the route.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 by establishing 
RNAV route T-465. The proposed new route is described below.
    T-465: T-465 is a new RNAV route that would extend between the Des 
Moines, IA, VORTAC and the NITZR, MN, WP located near Morristown, MN. 
This T-route would provide enroute routing adjacent to VOR Federal 
airways V-13 and V-161 between the Des Moines VORTAC and the Mason 
City, IA, VHF Omnidirectional Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/
DME) navigational aid; and enroute routing adjacent to VOR Federal 
airways V-13 and V-505 between the Mason City VOR/DME and the NITZR WP.
    United States Area Navigation Routes are published in paragraph 
6011 of FAA Order JO 7400.11G, dated August 19, 2022, and effective 
September 15, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. 
The RNAV route listed in this document would be subsequently published 
in FAA Order JO 7400.11.
    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 JO 
7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 19, 
2022, and effective September 15, 2022, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.

* * * * *

T-465 Des Moines, IA (DSM) to NITZR, MN [New]
 
Des Moines, IA (DSM)          VORTAC              (Lat. 41[deg]26'15.45'' N, long. 093[deg]38'54.81'' W)
RRAZZ, IA                     WP                  (Lat. 43[deg]17'00.00'' N, long. 093[deg]33'05.00'' W)
DEMLL, MN                     WP                  (Lat. 43[deg]57'55.00'' N, long. 093[deg]29'29.00'' W)
NITZR, MN                     WP                  (Lat. 44[deg]11'10.48'' N, long. 093[deg]27'57.86'' W)
 


    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 18, 2022.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2022-23074 Filed 10-28-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


