Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced that it will implement the Las Vegas Metroplex project this month.
The initiative would begin on Feb. 25, with the FAA using satellite navigation to move air traffic more safely and efficiently through the area. The result would be more new, direct routes at McCarran International Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, and North Las Vegas Airport, providing routes automatically separated from each other and possessing efficient climb and descent profiles.
Per the FAA, public engagement endeavors included 11 public workshops in 2017 and 2019, in addition to four public comment periods totaling more than 120 days and response to more than 140 comments.
After the agency’s new procedures are implemented, the FAA acknowledged some flight track dispersion would continue to occur as it does today. And air traffic controllers will continue to sometimes direct aircraft off published routes for safety or efficiency or reroute them around weather systems.
Authorities indicated the FAA issued the Finding of No Significant Impact-Record of Decision (FONSI-ROD) for the Las Vegas Metroplex project in July 2020 – adding the FAA’s initial plan to implement the new routes in November 2020 was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.