2024-28434. Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace and Establishment of Class E Airspace; Flagstaff, AZ

Document Headings

Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following:

1. the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
2. the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to
3. the agency docket number / agency internal file number
4. the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions

See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details.

Department of Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration

1. 14 CFR Part 71
2. [Docket No. FAA-2024-2221; Airspace Docket No. 24-AWP-107]
3. RIN 2120-AA66

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This action amends the Class D and Class E airspace and establishes Class E airspace at Flagstaff Pullman Airport, Flagstaff, AZ. This action is the result of a biennial airspace review. This action brings the airspace into compliance with FAA orders and supports instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and operations.

DATES:

Effective 0901 UTC, February 20, 2025. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference action under 1 CFR part 51, subject to the annual revision of FAA ( print page 96523) Order JO 7400.11 and publication of conforming amendments.

ADDRESSES:

A copy of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), all comments received, this final rule, and all background material may be viewed online at www.regulations.gov using the FAA Docket number. Electronic retrieval help and guidelines are available on the website. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year.

FAA Order JO 7400.11J, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at www.faa.gov/​air_​traffic/​publications/​. You may also contact the Rules and Regulations Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone [phone].

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 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 amends the Class D airspace and Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface and establishes a Class E airspace area designated as an extension to the Class D airspace at Flagstaff Pullman Airport, Flagstaff, AZ, to support IFR operations at this airport.

History

The FAA published an NPRM for Docket No. FAA-2024-2221 in the Federal Register (89 FR 77055; September 20, 2024) proposing to amend the Class D and Class E airspace and establish Class E airspace at Flagstaff Pullman Airport, Flagstaff, AZ. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. One comment was received supporting this action. No response is provided.

Incorporation by Reference

Class D and E airspace designations are published in paragraphs 5000, 6004, and 6005 of FAA Order JO 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 on an annual basis. This document amends the current version of that order, FAA Order JO 7400.11J, dated July 31, 2024, and effective September 15, 2024. FAA Order JO 7400.11J is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. These amendments will be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11.

FAA Order JO 7400.11J lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

The Rule

This amendment to 14 CFR part 71:

Modifies the Class D airspace to within a 4.3-mile (decreased from a 5-mile) radius of the Flagstaff Pullman Airport, Flagstaff, AZ; removes the extension southeast of the airport as it is no longer required; and replaces the outdated terms “Notice to Airmen” and “Airport/Facility Directory” with “Notice to Air Missions” and “Chart Supplement”;

Establishes a Class E airspace area designated as an extension to the Class D airspace extending from the 4.3-mile radius of Flagstaff Pullman Airport beginning at the point lat 35°12′33″ N, long 111°38′42″ W, to lat 35°16′44″ N, long 111°34′17″ W, then following the 9.6-mile radius from the airport clockwise to lat 35°02′27″ N, long 111°49′20″ W, to lat 35°06′38″ N, long 111°44′56″ W, then counterclockwise following the 4.3-mile radius to the point of origination;

And modifies the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 16.8-mile radius (previously defined by coordinates) of Flagstaff Pullman Airport; and removes the Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface from the airspace legal description as it is no longer required.

Regulatory Notices and Analyses

The FAA has determined that this 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 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 only affects air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this rule, when promulgated, does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

The FAA has determined that this action qualifies for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, “Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures,” paragraph 5-6.5.a. This airspace action is not expected to cause any potentially significant environmental impacts, and no extraordinary circumstances exist that warrant preparation of an environmental assessment.

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR 71

• Airspace
• Incorporation by reference
• Navigation (air)

The Amendment

In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation Administration amends 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

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.

§ 71.1

[Amended]

2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order JO 7400.11J, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 31, 2024, and effective September 15, 2024, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace.

* * * * *

AWP AZ D Flagstaff, AZ [Amended]

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, AZ

(Lat 35°08′25″ N, long 111°40′09″ W)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 9,500 feet MSL within a 4.3-mile radius of Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. This Class D airspace area is effective during the specific dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Air Missions. The effective dates and times will thereafter be continuously published in the Chart Supplement.

* * * * *

( print page 96524)

Paragraph 6004 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as an Extension to a Class D or Class E Surface Area.

* * * * *

AWP AZ E4 Flagstaff, AZ [Establish]

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, AZ

(Lat 35°08′25″ N, long 111°40′09″ W)

That airspace extending upward from the surface at Flagstaff Pullman Airport extending from the 4.3-mile radius of the airport beginning at the point lat 35°12′33″ N, long 111°38′42″ W, to lat 35°16′44″ N, long 111°34′17″ W, then following the 9.6-mile radius from the airport clockwise to lat 35°02′27″ N, long 111°49′20″ W, to lat 35°06′38″ N, long 111°44′56″ W, then following the 4.3-mile radius of the airport counterclockwise to the point of origination. This Class E airspace area is effective during the specific dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Air Missions. The effective dates and times will thereafter be continuously published in the Chart Supplement.

* * * * *

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.

* * * * *

AWP AZ E5 Flagstaff, AZ [Amended]

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, AZ

(Lat 35°08′25″ N, long 111°40′09″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 16.8-mile radius of the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport.

* * * * *

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 2, 2024.

Martin A. Skinner,

Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center