Final FAA RNAV and RNP Procedures at Denver International Airport, Centennial Airport and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport En
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Federal Aviation Administration Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) & Record of Decision (ROD) For the Implementation of RNAV/RNP Procedures at Denver International Airport, Centennial Airport, and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport August 2012 I. INTRODUCTION This document serves as the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision (FONSIIROD) and provides final agency determinations and approvals for the proposed action, namely utilization of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) by implementing new Area Navigation (RNAV) procedures, including Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Optimized Profile Descent (OPD), in the Denver Complex Airspace which includes Denver International Airport (DEN) and two satellite airports, Centennial Airport (APA) and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC). The proposed routes and procedures are designed to improve the safety and efficiency of the Denver Complex Airspace which includes the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) airspace as well as in high-altitude Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) airspace. This FONSI/ROD is based on the information and analysis contained in the Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA) dated August 2012 attached hereto. Furthermore, this FONSI/ROD: • Completes the FAA's required environmental review and decision-making process. It is prepared and issued to announce and document certain Federal actions and decisions in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. Section 4321, et seq.], the implementing regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) [40 CFR Parts 1500-1508] and FAA directives [Order 1050.1E, Change 1, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures (Mar. 20, 2006)]. This FONSI/ROD is also used by the FAA to demonstrate and document its compliance with the several procedural and substantive requirements of aeronautical, environmental, programmatic, and other statutes and regulations that apply to FAA decisions on proposed actions; • Provides the final Federal determinations and approvals based on environmental analysis and findings in the attached Final EA. The FAA's decisions are based on the information and analysis contained in the Final EA and all other applicable documents which were available and considered, and which constitute the administrative record; and • Approves certain Federal actions associated with implementation of the proposed RNAV/RNP procedures. Implementation of the Preferred Alternative will result in no airport-related development and will not change flight patterns in the immediate vicinity of any airport. In reaching its determination, FAA has given consideration to 49 U.S.C. 40101 (d)(4), which governs FAA's responsibility to carry out its mission while considering safety and the public interest when controlling the use of navigable airspace and regulating civil and military operations in that airspace in the interest of safety and efficiency of both of these operations. Additionally, consideration has been given to 49 U.S.C. 40103(b)(2) which authorizes and directs the FAA Administrator to prescribe air traffic rules and regulations governing the flight of aircraft, for the navigation, protection, and identification of aircraft, and the protection of persons and property on the ground, and for the efficient utilization of the navigable airspace, including rules as to safe altitudes of flight and rules for the prevention of collision between aircraft, between aircraft and land or water vehicles, and between aircraft and airborne objects. Furthermore, the FAA has given careful consideration to: the aviation safety and operational objectives of the project in light of the various aeronautical factors and judgments presented; the need to enhance efficiency of the national air transportation system; and the potential environmental impacts of the project. II. PROPOSED ACTION The FAA is in the process of implementing NextGen, the FAA's plan to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS) through 2025. NextGen is a complex program intended to develop and implement new technologies and adapt the air traffic management system to a new way of operating. NextGen represents an evolution from an air traffic control system that is primarily ground-based to a system that is satellite-based, and will allow the FAA to guide and track air traffic more precisely and efficiently. To achieve NextGen goals, the FAA is implementing new Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP)-based air traffic routes and instrument procedures around the country that leverage emerging technologies and aircraft 2 navigation capabilities. The implementation of RNAV and RNP enable the use of other PBN technology in the NAS, including Optimized Profile Descents (OPD). The current design and operation of the Denver Complex Airspace does not adequately accommodate today's level of air traffic. As operations are expected to grow in the NAS and the Denver Complex Airspace, efficiency will further deteriorate and delays will build. To improve safety and efficiency of operations in the Denver Complex Airspace, and to improve and accommodate future needs of air travel, the FAA proposes implementation of PBN and advanced technologies that are in line with the FAA's NextGen goals. The Proposed Action evaluated in the attached Final EA is the implementation of new RNAV procedures, inclusive of RNP and OPD, for Denver International Airport (DEN), Centennial Airport (APA) and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) in order to improve the safety and efficiency of the Denver Complex Airspace. DEN, APA, and BJC are the airports in the Denver Complex Airspace that will best leverage the capabilities of new RNAV procedures, inclusive of RNP and OPD, for the most comprehensive enhancement within that airspace. The Preferred Alternative includes 17 RNAV STARs (inclusive of RNP approaches) and 16 RNAV SIDs procedures at DEN, four RNAV STARs for aircraft arriving to APA and BJC each, and one RNAV SID for APA and BJC each, as described in Section 2.3 of the Final EA. III. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION The purpose of the Proposed Action is to accommodate current and future air traffic in an efficient manner by leveraging PBN through use of RNAV procedures, inclusive of RNP and OPD, to address the specific inadequacies of the Denver Complex Airspace and thereby improve the NAS. The Proposed Action is needed because the current Denver Complex Airspace does not adequately accommodate today's level of air traffic. As air traffic continues to grow, the adequacy of the Denver Complex Airspace will become more inadequate and delays will build. PBN technology is needed because the majority of the current procedures were designed without benefit of satellite-based navigation and the current and projected prevalence of PBN-capable aircraft is increasing. The need for the Proposed Action is both nationally and locally based because DEN is a hub airport. DEN provides connections to numerous destinations for millions of passengers annually. Therefore, inefficient operations at DEN cause inefficiencies throughout the NAS. IV. ALTERNATIVES Alternatives that involved utilizing other modes of transportation, use of other airports, or changes in airport were not considered because these alternatives did not meet the purpose and need for the Proposed Action. The alternatives considered within the attached Final EA included the use of improved Airport Traffic Control (ATC) technology (Traffic Management Systems, CenterlTRACON Automation Systems (CTAS), and the Free Flight Program) and 3 specific RNAV/RNP alternatives for the Study Area airports. While the potential exists for these technologies to allow controllers to better manage airspace, they will not by themselves accommodate growth and enhance the safety and efficiency of the system. Improved ATC technologies are dependent on a flexible and relatively unconstrained airspace structure that does not currently exist. ATC technology as a stand-alone alternative did not meet the purpose and need and was dismissed from further consideration. A series of Proposed Action Alternatives (Alternatives 1 through 4) were developed and analyzed. For DEN, 17 RNAV STARs (inclusive of RNP approaches) and 16 RNAV SIDs procedures were proposed, consistent among the alternatives. Detailed descriptions of the RNAV STAR and SID combinations associated with each alternative can be found in Chapter 2 and Appendix D of the attached Final EA. The alternatives evaluated in the attached Final EA are summarized below: • Alternative 1 includes all DEN RNAV STARs and SIDs, plus four RNAV STARs for aircraft arriving to APA and BJC each. Under Alternative 1, most RNAV STARs to APA and BJC share routing with DEN RNAV STAR procedures. • Alternative 2 includes all procedures included in Alternative 1, and adds RNAV SID procedures from the runways to 10,000 feet MSL for APA and BJC. • Alternative 3 includes all DEN RNAV STARs and SIDs, provides increased separation of the RNAV STAR procedures for APA and BJC from the DEN RNAV STAR procedures, and adds RNAV SID procedures from the runway to 20,000 feet MSL for APA and BJC. • Alternative 4 includes all DEN RNAV STARs and SIDs, includes a variation of RNAV STARs for APA and BJC in common with routing for DEN arrivals, and includes RNAV SID procedures from the runways to 10,000 feet MSL. Following the detailed environmental analysis and coordination with the public and agencies (see