The FAA has announced a list of the first VORs to be removed from the national airspace system in its effort to reduce the number of navigation aids it says are unnecessary as pilots transition more and more to satellite-based navigation. Thirty-five VORs in 17 states are now on the slate for removal. The goal is to eventually remove as many as half of the nearly 1,000 currently operational VORs.
FAA Begins VOR Decommissioning Program
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA has begun removing 35 VORs in 17 states, aiming to eliminate up to half of the nearly 1,000 operational VORs due to the shift towards satellite navigation.
- This initiative is driven by the high cost of replacing aging VOR infrastructure and the increasing reliance on GPS for navigation.
- The agency plans to retain a Minimum Operational Network (MON) of VORs to serve as a backup for satellite outages, ensuring IFR capabilities for airways above 5,000 feet and airport approaches within 100 nm.
- The implementation of the MON is projected to significantly impact thousands of existing instrument approach procedures, ODPs, SIDs, and STARs.
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