Modification of Class E Airspace; Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, Kotzebue, AK

Proposed Rule

You may be interested in this older document that published on 11/24/2025 with action 'Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).' View Document

Modification of Class E Airspace; Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, Kotzebue, AK

A Proposed Rule by the Federal Aviation Administration on 04/20/2026

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• Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-07612 (91 FR 20944) Document Headings ###### Department of Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration

1. 14 CFR Part 71
2. [Docket No. FAA-2025-2423; Airspace Docket No. 23-AAL-10]
3. RIN 2120-AA66 ( printed page 20944) # AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM).

SUMMARY:

This action updates a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published by the FAA in the Federal Register on November 24, 2025, proposing to modify the Class E airspace area designated as a surface area (Class E2 airspace area) and Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface (Class E5 700-foot (ft) airspace area) to optimize instrument flight procedure (IFP) containment at the Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, Kotzebue, AK. This proposal supports the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport. The proposal has been updated based on amendments to four IFPs.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before June 4, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments identified by FAA Docket No. FAA-2025-2423 and Airspace Docket No. 23-AAL-10 using any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.

• Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

• Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.

Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FAA Order JO 7400.11K, 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, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20597; telephone: (202) 267-8783.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

BryantJay Toves, Federal Aviation Administration, Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 S 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone (206) 231-3465.

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 Class E airspace to support IFR operations at Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, Kotzebue, AK.

Comments Invited

The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain duplicate comments, commenters should submit only one time if comments are filed electronically, or commenters should send only one copy of written comments if comments are filed in writing.

The FAA will file in the docket all comments it receives, as well as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this proposal, the FAA will consider all comments it receives on or before the closing date for comments. The FAA will consider comments filed after the comment period has closed if it is possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. The FAA may change this proposal in light of the comments it receives.

Privacy: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/​privacy.

Availability of Rulemaking Documents

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 Operations office (see ADDRESSES section for address, phone number, and hours of operations). An informal docket may also be examined during normal business hours at the office of the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 S 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198.

Incorporation by Reference

Class E2 and E5 airspace designations are published in paragraphs 6002 and 6005, respectively, 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 proposes to amend the current version of that order, FAA Order JO 7400.11K, dated August 4, 2025, and effective September 15, 2025. These updates would be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11. FAA Order JO 7400.11K, which lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points, is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document.

Background

The FAA published an NPRM in the Federal Register for Docket No. FAA-2025-2423 (90 FR 52899; November 24, 2025), proposing to modify the Class E2 airspace area and Class E5 700-ft ( printed page 20945) airspace area to optimize instrument flight procedure containment at the Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, Kotzebue, AK. Following the above NPRM publication, four procedures were amended due to magnetic variation changes and/or procedure updates. Accordingly, this SNPRM updates the proposal based on those changes.

The Proposal

The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 that would modify the Class E2 airspace area and Class E5 700-ft airspace area at Ralph Wien Memorial Airport to optimize instrument flight procedures containment.

The NPRM proposed modifying the Class E2 airspace area by increasing the radius from 4.3 miles to 4.4 miles to better accommodate the circling maneuvering areas to runways (RWYs) 18 and 19. Additionally, the FAA proposed 1.4 mile and .6 mile extensions to the southeast and west, respectively, to contain departing aircraft until reaching the base of the next adjacent airspace when executing the COGAS TWO Area Navigation (RNAV) (Required Navigation Performance [RNP]) DEPARTURE and BALIN TWO RNAV (RNP) DEPARTURE from RWYs 9 and 27. Under this modified proposal, the FAA proposes shift the western extension 0.5 miles west to more appropriately contain the BALIN TWO Area Navigation (RNAV) (Required Navigation Performance [RNP]) Runway (RWY) 27 instrument approach procedure.

The NPRM proposed modifying the Class E5 airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to remove unneeded controlled airspace to the northeast, east, southwest, and west, and to expand the E5 airspace to targeted areas southeast and northwest of the airport. The expansion to the southeast was proposed to better contain aircraft until reaching 1,200 feet above the surface on the RNAV (Global Positioning System [GPS]) RWY 27 missed approach procedure and BALIN TWO RNAV (RNP) DEPARTURE RWY 9. The FAA proposed an expansion to the northwest of an additional 1x5-mile area of airspace to provide sufficient containment for arriving aircraft that descend to below 1,500 feet above the surface on the instrument landing system (ILS) or localizer (LOC) RWY 9 approach. Under this modified proposal, the FAA would also extend the eastern boundary approximately 1.6 miles and the western boundary by approximately 10.7 miles to more appropriately contain the Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) RWY 9 and the VOR RWY 27 instrument approach procedures, respectively.

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 DOT Order 2100.6B, “Rulemaking and Guidance Procedure” (March 10, 2025); 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 1050.1G, “FAA National Environmental Policy Act Implementing 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

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 7400.11K, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 4, 2025, and effective September 15, 2025, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6002 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as Surface Areas.

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AAL AK E2 Kotzebue, AK [Amended]

Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, AK

(Lat. 66°53′05″ N, long. 162°35′53″ W)

That airspace extending upward from the surface up to and including 2,500 feet above the surface and within a 4.4-mile radius of the Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, within 2.9 miles northeast and 0.8 miles southwest of the airport's 130° bearing extending from its 4.4-mile radius to 5.8 miles southeast, and within 0.8 miles on either side of the airport's 266° bearing extending from its 4.4-mile radius to 4.9 miles west.

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

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AAL AK E5 Kotzebue, AK [Amended]

Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, AK

(Lat. 66°53′05″ N, long. 162°35′53″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.8-mile radius of the airport, within 3-miles north and 3.2-miles south of the airport's 095° bearing extending from its 6.8-mile radius to 13.6 miles east, within the airport's 118° bearing clockwise to its 137° bearing along the airport's 8.3-mile radius, and within 4 miles either side of the airport's 280° bearing extending from its 6.8-mile radius to 10.7 miles west; that airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface within a 45-mile radius of the airport, excluding that airspace extending beyond 12 miles from the coast.

• * * * * Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on April 15, 2026.

B.G. Chew,

Group Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center.

[FR Doc. 2026-07612 Filed 4-17-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

Published Document: 2026-07612 (91 FR 20944)