The FAA has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish 16 additional high-altitude Rnav routes (Q-routes) and modify seven existing Q-routes as part of the Florida Metroplex Project. The Florida Metroplex Project consists of developing performance-based navigation (PBN) routes involving Jacksonville and Miami ARTCC, and San Juan Center radar approach control.
The proposal would support the ongoing transition of the National Airspace System (NAS) from a ground- and radar-based navigation system to the agency’s NextGen satellite-based system. By taking advantage of the capabilities of the advanced flight management systems in modern aircraft, the agency said, these proposed Q-routes would serve to “reduce ATC sector complexity, increase NAS capacity, reduce pilot-to-air traffic controller communications, and allow aircraft to be cleared to their cruising altitude and flight-planned route more expeditiously.”
Additionally, the new and modified routes would connect to Caribbean air traffic service routes to provide efficient direct routings to and from Caribbean locations. Comments on the proposal must be submitted no later than July 9.