Community Involvement — Las Vegas

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will implement the Las Vegas Metroplex project on Feb. 25, 2021.

The project will use satellite navigation to move air traffic more safely and efficiently through the area. New routes for McCarran International Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, and North Las Vegas Airport will be more direct, automatically separated from each other and have efficient climb and descent profiles. It is one of 11 Metroplex projects nationwide.

Community involvement was an important part of the project's environmental process. The FAA conducted a thorough environmental review and extensive public engagement for the project, including 11 public workshops in 2017 and 2019. The agency also held four public comment periods totaling more than 120 days, and evaluated and responded to more than 140 comments.

The FAA issued the Finding of No Significant Impact-Record of Decision (PDF) (FONSI/ROD) for the Las Vegas Metroplex project in July 2020. The agency's initial plan to implement the new routes in November 2020 was delayed by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

After issuing the FONSI/ROD, FAA made minor adjustments to five procedures that are part of the project. The agency conducted a thorough review of the changes (PDF) and confirmed they did not warrant a supplement to the final Environmental Assessment, consistent with FAA environmental policy. The FAA also may make minor adjustments to some procedures after they take effect, which occurs during the "post-implementation" phase of virtually all large airspace projects. Before making any such changes, FAA would conduct any required environmental reviews.

The Las Vegas Metroplex environmental website includes Google Earth features that enable the public to view historic and projected flight paths associated with the project, as well as the noise analysis FAA conducted at more than 172,000 grid points throughout the project General Study Area.

The FAA made minor adjustments to five procedures that are part of the Las Vegas Metroplex project. The agency made these changes after it issued the final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision (FONSI/ROD) for the project. The FAA conducted a thorough review of the changes and confirmed they do not warrant a supplement to the final Environmental Assessment consistent with FAA environmental policy. Details of FAA review.

The FAA made these changes for several reasons, including to comply with amendments to our criteria that occurred after we issued the FONSI/ROD. While the procedures approved in the FONSI/ROD would have been safe, the FAA is constantly evaluating how to make our safe system even safer. Adjustments similar to these occur with virtually all large airspace projects, and the FAA normally makes them after the procedures are implemented, during what is called the post-implementation phase of the project. However, the COVID-19 public health emergency delayed implementation of the Las Vegas Metroplex project. As a result, we were able to make these changes before we implement the new routes on Feb. 25, 2021.

The changes are as follows:

HOOVER SEVEN departure route for McCarran International Airport (LAS)

Two segments of the proposed HOOVER SEVEN departure route failed FAA flight checks due to a lack of radio reception at two points along those segments. The segments, or transitions, lead from LAS to the higher-altitude portion of the HOOVER departure. Accordingly, the FAA revised one of the segments to closely resemble the segment of the HOOVER route that is flown today. The FAA revised the other segment to move it further south of the originally proposed segment. The originally proposed segment would have overflown Grand Canyon National Park, while the revised segment will not. The changes to both segments will take place between 14,000 and 28,000 feet Above Ground Level (AGL).

Precision approach to LAS Runway 19R from the east

The FAA changed the descent angle from 3.5 degrees to 3.24 degrees in response to safety and efficiency concerns that airlines expressed. During hot weather, altimeters can show aircraft are flying the intended descent angle, but they actually are at higher-than-indicated altitudes, which create steeper-than-intended descent angles. Steeper descent angles can make it difficult for aircraft to slow to a safe landing speed and require crews to abort their landing attempts and fly around for another attempt. The change will route aircraft at most approximately 550 feet north of the originally designed approach.

Precision approach to LAS Runway 19R from the north

The FAA changed the glide angle for this approach to match the glide angle for the approach from the east so both can use the Precision Approach Path Indicator lights for Runway 19R. The change will route aircraft at most approximately 500 feet northwest of the originally designed approach. The FAA expects aircraft will use this approach only for contingency purposes because it conflicts with Nellis Air Force Base airspace.

Precision approach to LAS Runway 19L

The FAA redesigned the procedure to create a slightly longer final approach. The longer, straight segment increases safety by giving pilots more distance before they reach the altitude at which they must determine whether they're safely lined up and configured to land. The change will shift the procedure at most approximately 212 feet northwest of the originally designed route.

GAMES Arrival Route for Henderson Executive Airport

The FAA raised the altitude of the route from 8,100 to 8,300 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) at a specific waypoint. The FAA made this change because the agency raised the minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) along the GAMES arrival route after issuing the final Environmental Assessment and FONSI/ROD for the project. The MVA is the minimum altitude at which controllers can turn aircraft safely for terrain and obstacle clearance. The FAA continuously assesses its safety criteria and periodically adjusts it.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this notice to advise the public that it has published a Finding of No Significant/Record of Decision for the Las Vegas Metroplex Project. The FAA prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA), dated June 8, 2020, to assess the potential environmental impacts of the Las Vegas Metroplex Project in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. The FAA accepted public comment on the Final EA from June 8 to June 22, 2020. This notice announces that based on the information and analysis contained in the Final EA, and after reviewing comments received on the Final EA, FAA is issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision (FONSI/ROD) for the Las Vegas Metroplex Project. The FONSI/ROD documents FAA's determination that the Las Vegas Metroplex Project would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment and that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is therefore not necessary. The FONSI/ROD also documents FAA's decision to proceed with the preferred alternative detailed in the Final EA. The Las Vegas Metroplex Project will improve the efficiency of the national airspace system in the Las Vegas area by optimizing aircraft arrival and departure procedures at McCarran International Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, and North Las Vegas Airport.

The FONSI/ROD is available at:

1. Online: LAS Metroplex FONSI/ROD (PDF) and LAS Metroplex documents
2. Electronic version of the FONSI/ROD is available at 27 libraries in the Las Vegas Metroplex General Study Area. Complete list of libraries is available, and presented below:

County and Library Locations

County	Library Location
Clark County, NV	Blue Diamond Library 16A Cottonwood Dr. Blue Diamond NV 89004 702-875-4295
	Boulder City Library 701 Adams Blvd. Boulder City NV 89005 702-293-1281
	Centennial Hills Library 6711 N. Buffalo Dr. Las Vegas NV 89131 702-507-6100
	Clark County Library 1401 E. Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas NV 89119 702-507-3400
	East Las Vegas Library 2851 E Bonanza Rd. Las Vegas NV 89101 702-507-3500
	Enterprise Library 25 E Shelbourne Ave. Las Vegas NV 89123 702-507-3760
	Heritage Pk. Sr. Ctr Library 300 S. Racetrack Rd. Henderson NV 89015 702-207-4258
	Indian Springs Library 715 Gretta Ln. Indian Springs NV 89018 702-879-3845
	Laughlin Library 2840 South Needles Hwy. Laughlin NV 89029 702-507-4060
	Meadows Library 251 W. Boston Ave. Las Vegas NV 89102 702-474-0023
	Moapa Town Library 1340 East Highway 168 Moapa NV 89025 702-864-2438
	Moapa Valley Library 350 N. Moapa Valley Blvd. Overton NV 89040 702-397-2690
	Mount Charleston Library 75 Ski Chalet Pl. Las Vegas NV 89124 702-872-5585
	Paseo Verde Library 280 S. Green Valley Pkwy. Henderson NV 89012 702-492-7252
	Sahara West Library 9600 W. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas NV 89117 702-507-3630
	Sandy Valley Library 650 W Quartz Ave. Sandy Valley NV 89019 702-723-5333
	Searchlight Library 200 Michael Wendell Way Searchlight NV 89046 702-297-1442
	Sunrise Library 5400 E. Harris Ave. Las Vegas NV 89110 702-507-3900
	Whitney Library 5175 E. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas NV 89122 702-507-4010
	Windmill Library 7060 W. Windmill Ln. Las Vegas NV 89113 702-507-6030
Nye County, NV	Pahrump Community Library 701 East St. Pahrump NV 89048 775-727-5930
Inyo County, CA	Tecopa Library 408 Tecopa Hot Springs Rd. Tecopa CA 92389 760-852-4171
San Bernardino County, CA	Needles Branch Library 1111 Bailey Ave. Needles CA 92363 760-326-9255
	Barstow Branch Library 304 E. Buena Vista St. Barstow CA 92311-2806 760-256-4850
	Twentynine Palms Branch Library 6078 Adobe Rd. Twentynine Palms CA 92277 760-367-9519
Mohave County, AZ	Golden Valley Community Library 3417 N. Verde Rd. Golden Valley AZ 86413-8115 928-565-2989
	Lake Havasu City Branch Library 1770 N. McCulloch Blvd. Lake Havasu City AZ 86403 928-453-0718

Supplemental Materials

FAA Finding under the National Historic Preservation Act

In accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. § 470 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 36 C.F.R. Part 800, FAA has engaged in consultation with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and other consulting parties regarding the potential for the project to affect historic properties. The FAA has made a finding of "no adverse effect on historic properties," which is documented in a March 3, 2020 email to the SHPO. The email and related documentation are available for public inspection.