2024-05077. Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace and Revocation of Class E Airspace; Clarksburg, WV

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This action amends the Class D and Class E airspace and revokes Class E airspace at Clarksburg, WV. This action is the result of a biennial airspace review. This action brings the airspace into compliance with FAA orders to support instrument flight rule (IFR) operations.

DATES:

Effective 0901 UTC, May 16, 2024. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference action under 1 CFR part 51, subject to the annual revision of FAA 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 7400.11H, 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 revokes the Class E airspace designated as an extension to Class D airspace at North Central West Virginia Airport, Clarksburg, WV, to support IFR operations at this airport.

History

The FAA published an NPRM for Docket No. FAA–2023–2362 in the Federal Register (88 FR 88550; December 22, 2023) proposing to amend the Class D and Class E airspace and revoke Class E airspace at Clarksburg, WV. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received.

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 7400.11H, dated August 11, 2023, and effective September 15, 2023. FAA Order JO 7400.11H 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 7400.11H 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 extending upward from the surface up to and including 3,700 feet MSL to within a 7.1-mile (increased from 4.1-mile) radius of the North Central West Virginia Airport, Clarksburg, WV, excluding that airspace within a 1-mile radius of Wade F. Maley Field, Shinnston, WV; and updates the outdated terms “Notice to Airmen” and “Airport Facility Directory” to “Notice to Air Missions” and “Chart Supplement”;

Revokes the Class E airspace designated as an extension to Class D airspace at North Central West Virginia Airport as it is no longer required;

And modifies the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 9.6-mile (increased from an 8.9-mile) radius of North Central West Virginia Airport.

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 7400.11H, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 11, 2023, and effective September 15, 2023, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace.

* * * * *

AEA WV D Clarksburg, WV [Amended]

North Central West Virginia Airport, WV

(Lat. 39°17′52″ N, long. 80°13′39″ W)

Wade F. Maley Field, WV

(Lat. 39°24′22″ N, long. 80°16′37″ W)

That airspace extending upward from the surface up to and including 3,700 feet within a 7.1-mile radius of North Central West Virginia Airport excluding that airspace within a 1-mile radius of Wade F. Maley Field. This Class D airspace area is effective during 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 6004 Class E Airspace Areas Designates as an Extension to a Class D or Class E Surface Area.

* * * * *

AEA WV E4 Clarksburg, WV [Remove]

* * * * *

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

* * * * *

AEA WV E5 Clarksburg, WV [Amended]

North Central West Virginia Airport, WV

(Lat. 39°17′52″ N, long. 80°13′39″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within an 9.6-mile radius of North Central West Virginia Airport.

* * * * *

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 6, 2024.

Martin A. Skinner,

Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.