The FAA is set to roll out the first phase of its long-planned South-Central Florida Metroplex airspace optimization program with the publication of 54 new operational procedures on April 22. Designed to improve air traffic flow throughout the South-Central Florida region, the procedures will facilitate more direct flights with more efficient climb and descent profiles, the agency said.
While all 54 procedures will be released at the same time, the FAA stipulated they are not intended for simultaneous use. Seventeen of the procedures will require additional controller training and automation upgrades at ATC facilities before they can be implemented, the agency said, adding this should occur by mid-August. In addition, the availability of the procedures will be dependent on weather and operational requirements. The changes will incorporate new routes that may alter aircraft flight paths and altitudes in certain areas, the agency further advised.
Release of the procedures follows the FAA’s issuance of the Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision for the project in October 2020. That finding was the culmination of an environmental evaluation process that included 29 public workshops, two comment periods, and more than 3,200 comments.
South-Central Florida is one of 11 metroplex initiatives that the FAA has had ongoing nationwide, and the final project to be implemented, the agency said.