FAR/AIM: PART 71—DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

• Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 97
• § 71.1 Applicability.
• § 71.3 [Reserved]
• § 71.5 Reporting points.
• § 71.7 Bearings, radials, and mileages.
• § 71.9 Overlapping airspace designations.
• § 71.11 Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes.
• § 71.13 Classification of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes.
• § 71.15 Designation of jet routes and VOR Federal airways.
• Subpart A—Class A Airspace
  • § 71.31 Class A airspace.
  • § 71.33 Class A airspace areas.
• Subpart B—Class B Airspace
  • § 71.41 Class B airspace.
• Subpart C—Class C Airspace
  • § 71.51 Class C airspace.
• Subpart D—Class D Airspace
  • § 71.61 Class D airspace.
• Subpart E—Class E Airspace
  • § 71.71 Class E airspace.
• Subparts F-G [Reserved]
• Subpart H—Reporting Points
  • § 71.901 Applicability.

   

A listing for Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas; air traffic service routes; and reporting points can be found in FAA Order JO 7400.11H, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 11, 2023. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. The approval to incorporate by reference FAA Order JO 7400.11H is effective September 15, 2023, through September 15, 2024. During the incorporation by reference period, proposed changes to the listings of Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas; air traffic service routes; and reporting points will be published in full text as proposed rule documents in the Federal Register, unless there is good cause to forego notice and comment. Amendments to the listings of Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas; air traffic service routes; and reporting points will be published in full text as final rules in the Federal Register. Periodically, the final rule amendments will be integrated into a revised edition of the Order and submitted to the Director of the Federal Register for approval for incorporation by reference in this section. This incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact the FAA at: Rules and Regulations Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591, (202) 267-8783. An electronic version of FAA Order JO 7400.11H is available on the FAA website at www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications. Copies of FAA Order JO 7400.11H may be inspected in Docket No. FAA-2023-1785; Amendment No. 71-55, on www.regulations.gov. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federalregister/cfr/ibr-locations.html or email fr.inspection@nara.gov.

 

"[Reserved]" is used simply to indicate that regulatory information might be inserted into this location at some time in the future, and is a placeholder to indicate that the section was intentionally left blank, and not dropped due to a computer error.

 

The reporting points listed in subpart H of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) consist of geographic locations at which the position of an aircraft must be reported in accordance with part 91 of this chapter.

 

All bearings and radials in this part are true and are applied from point of origin and all mileages in this part are stated as nautical miles.

 

(a) When overlapping airspace designations apply to the same airspace, the operating rules associated with the more restrictive airspace designation apply.

(b) For the purpose of this section—

(1) Class A airspace is more restrictive than Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, or Class G airspace;

(2) Class B airspace is more restrictive than Class C, Class D, Class E, or Class G airspace;

(3) Class C airspace is more restrictive than Class D, Class E, or Class G airspace;

(4) Class D airspace is more restrictive than Class E or Class G airspace; and

(5) Class E is more restrictive than Class G airspace.

 

Unless otherwise specified, the following apply:

(a) An Air Traffic Service (ATS) route is based on a centerline that extends from one navigation aid, fix, or intersection, to another navigation aid, fix, or intersection (or through several navigation aids, fixes, or intersections) specified for that route.

(b) An ATS route does not include the airspace of a prohibited area.

 

Unless otherwise specified, ATS routes are classified as follows:

(a) In subpart A of this part:

(1) Jet routes.

(2) Area navigation (RNAV) routes.

(b) In subpart E of this part:

(1) VOR Federal airways.

(2) Colored Federal airways.

(i) Green Federal airways.

(ii) Amber Federal airways.

(iii) Red Federal airways.

(iv) Blue Federal airways.

(3) Area navigation (RNAV) routes.

 

Unless otherwise specified, the place names appearing in the descriptions of airspace areas designated as jet routes in subpart A of FAA Order JO 7400.11H, and as VOR Federal airways in subpart E of FAA Order JO 7400.11H, are the names of VOR or VORTAC navigation aids. FAA Order JO 7400.11H is incorporated by reference in § 71.1.

   

The airspace descriptions contained in § 71.33 and the routes contained in subpart A of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) are designated as Class A airspace within which all pilots and aircraft are subject to the rating requirements, operating rules, and equipment requirements of part 91 of this chapter.

 

(a) That airspace of the United States, including that airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast of the 48 contiguous States, from 18,000 feet MSL to and including FL600 excluding the states of Alaska and Hawaii.

(b) That airspace of the State of Alaska, including that airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast, from 18,000 feet MSL to and including FL600 but not including the airspace less than 1,500 feet above the surface of the earth and the Alaska Peninsula west of longitude 160°00′00″ West.

(c) The airspace areas listed as offshore airspace areas in subpart A of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) that are designated in international airspace within areas of domestic radio navigational signal or ATC radar coverage, and within which domestic ATC procedures are applied.

   

The Class B airspace areas listed in subpart B of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) consist of specified airspace within which all aircraft operators are subject to the minimum pilot qualification requirements, operating rules, and aircraft equipment requirements of part 91 of this chapter. Each Class B airspace area designated for an airport in subpart B of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) contains at least one primary airport around which the airspace is designated.

   

The Class C airspace areas listed in subpart C of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) consist of specified airspace within which all aircraft operators are subject to operating rules and equipment requirements specified in part 91 of this chapter. Each Class C airspace area designated for an airport in subpart C of FAA Order JO 7400.11H. (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) contains at least one primary airport around which the airspace is designated.

   

The Class D airspace areas listed in subpart D of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) consist of specified airspace within which all aircraft operators are subject to operating rules and equipment requirements specified in part 91 of this chapter. Each Class D airspace area designated for an airport in subpart D of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) contains at least one primary airport around which the airspace is designated.

   

Class E Airspace consists of:

(a) The airspace of the United States, including that airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast of the 48 contiguous states and Alaska, extending upward from 14,500 feet MSL up to, but not including 18,000 feet MSL, and the airspace above FL600, excluding—

(1) The Alaska peninsula west of longitude 160°00′00″ W.; and

(2) The airspace below 1,500 feet above the surface of the earth.

(b) The airspace areas designated for an airport in subpart E of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) within which all aircraft operators are subject to the operating rules specified in part 91 of this chapter.

(c) The airspace areas listed as domestic airspace areas in subpart E of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) which extend upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth when designated in conjunction with an airport for which an approved instrument approach procedure has been prescribed, or from 1,200 feet or more above the surface of the earth for the purpose of transitioning to or from the terminal or en route environment. When such areas are designated in conjunction with airways or routes, the extent of such designation has the lateral extent identical to that of a Federal airway and extends upward from 1,200 feet or higher. Unless otherwise specified, the airspace areas in the paragraph extend upward from 1,200 feet or higher above the surface to, but not including, 14,500 feet MSL.

(d) The Federal airways described in subpart E of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1).

(e) The airspace areas listed as en route domestic airspace areas in subpart E of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1). Unless otherwise specified, each airspace area has a lateral extent identical to that of a Federal airway and extends upward from 1,200 feet above the surface of the earth to the overlying or adjacent controlled airspace.

(f) The airspace areas listed as offshore airspace areas in subpart E of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) that are designated in international airspace within areas of domestic radio navigational signal or ATC radar coverage, and within which domestic ATC procedures are applied. Unless otherwise specified, each airspace area extends upward from a specified altitude up to, but not including, 18,000 feet MSL.

 

"[Reserved]" is used simply to indicate that regulatory information might be inserted into this location at some time in the future, and is a placeholder to indicate that the section was intentionally left blank, and not dropped due to a computer error.

   

Unless otherwise designated:

(a) Each reporting point listed in subpart H of FAA Order JO 7400.11H (incorporated by reference, see § 71.1) applies to all directions of flight. In any case where a geographic location is designated as a reporting point for less than all airways passing through that point, or for a particular direction of flight along an airway only, it is so indicated by including the airways or direction of flight in the designation of geographical location.

(b) Place names appearing in the reporting point descriptions indicate VOR or VORTAC facilities identified by those names.