Community Involvement — Las Vegas

Project Description

The FAA is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq., and FAA Order 1050.1F to document the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed optimization of aircraft routes and the supporting airspace management structure serving aircraft operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) while departing from or arriving to the Las Vegas area.

The Las Vegas Metroplex Project would improve the efficiency of airspace in the Las Vegas Metroplex area by optimizing aircraft arrival and departure procedures to and from the following airports (referred to as the EA Study Airports):

• McCarran International Airport (LAS)
• Henderson Executive Airport (HND)
• North Las Vegas Airport (VGT)

Additionally, flight procedures for the following airports are being developed and are included in the EA but these airports were not included as EA Study Airports because the Project would result in little or no change to their operations.

• Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU)
• Temple Bar Airport (U30)
• Triangle Airpark (AZ50)
• Echo Bay Airport (0L9)

The Project proposes changes in aircraft flight paths and altitudes in certain areas, but would not result in any ground disturbance or increase the number of aircraft operations at any of the above airports.

To evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the Las Vegas Metroplex project, the FAA has established a General Study Area, consisting of areas around the above airports. The General Study Area is used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts resulting from changes in aircraft routing proposed to occur below 10,000 feet above ground level (AGL).

• Fact Sheet (PDF)

Project Status: Evaluation

A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) was released on November 18, 2019. The Draft EA (and an associated Correction Document) are available as follows:

1. Online at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/community_involvement/las/ and http://www.metroplexenvironmental.com/las_metroplex/las_docs.html
2. Electronic versions of the Draft EA and Correction Document have been sent to 28 libraries in the General Study Area with a request to make the digital documents available to patrons. A complete list of libraries that have electronic copies of the Draft EA and Correction Document are presented below.

Library List

The public comment period for the Draft EA and Correction Document will run through Jan. 21, 2020. The FAA encourages interested parties to review the Draft EA and Correction Document, and provide written comments during the public comment period. The FAA will accept written comments through Jan. 21, 2020. The public is invited to submit comments during the public comment period at the workshops, by mail, or via the FAA Community Involvement website listed below. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

A form for submitting comments online during the comment period is available at:
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/community_involvement/las/community_comments/

Comment cards will be available at all Public Workshops (see dates and locations below) and the FAA will be accepting written comment submissions at those venues.

Comments can be submitted by regular mail to:

For more information on the Las Vegas Metroplex Project, please visit the link below:

• ATAC Environmental website

Community Engagement Opportunities

Upcoming Workshops (2019)

The FAA invites the public to attend informational workshops for the Draft EA at the times and locations listed below. Representatives from the FAA will be available to answer questions about the Las Vegas Metroplex Project. Written comments will be accepted at the public workshops.

Attendees with special communication or accommodation needs may contact Augustin Moses of the FAA at (206) 231-2218 and at augustin.moses@faa.gov at least 2 days prior to the workshop. Every reasonable effort to accommodate special needs will be made.

Workshops are scheduled for the following dates and locations:

Workshop Locations

Past Workshops (April 2019)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) held three public information workshops in April 2017 in the Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas communities to introduce the Project and the issues to be addressed. These workshops were intended to increase awareness about the ongoing efforts and allow an opportunity to provide feedback. In April 2019, preliminary designs were presented during three additional workshops in the same areas. Comments received during these workshops were reviewed by the Metroplex Team for potential changes which would not adversely affect safety.

Contact

For additional information please contact:

Documents/Resources

How Air Traffic Control Works in Las Vegas Metroplex

Additional Las Vegas Metroplex Information

• Public Workshop Outreach Boards Dec-2019 (PDF)
• Public Workshop Environmental Assessment 1 of 2 Dec-2019 (PDF)
• Public Workshop Environmental Assessment 2 of 2 Dec-2019 (PDF)
• Public Workshop Information Display Boards April-2019 (PDF)
• Printable Public Workshop Comment Form (PDF)
• Public Workshop Invitation April-2019 (PDF)
• General Information April-2017 (PDF)
• Flight Paths April-2017 (PDF)

Supplemental Materials

• Las Vegas Metroplex Fact Sheet (PDF)

In January 2017, the FAA kicked off a project to redesign airspace, introduce new Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures, and make use of Time Based Flow Management (TBFM) to make the Las Vegas Metroplex airspace more efficient with improved access to its airports. Some of the airports in the focus area include: Henderson Executive (HND), McCarran International (LAS), and North Las Vegas (VGT). The information below may also include data from nearby airports outside of the Las Vegas Metroplex (please see the Reference Guide for additional information).

Projected Annual Benefits

Source: FAA – Las Vegas Metroplex Study Team

These preliminary annual benefits estimates are models based on the assumption that the Las Vegas Metroplex improvements will address the issues that the FAA identified in the Las Vegas airspace. Post-implementation estimates based on actual flight data will differ from the preliminary estimates. The value of the preliminary fuel savings estimates is based on a $2.85-per-gallon rate.