FAA seeks public input on Las Vegas Metroplex Project

Although the airspace around the valley is safe, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Metroplex project focuses on the efficiency of the routes in the area.

The FAA proposes to address the inefficiencies by implementing new routes that are more direct, automatically separated from each other, and have efficient climb and descent profiles.

Potential benefits of these routes can include reducing pilot-controller communications, miles flown, fuel burn and CO2 emissions.

The project uses a satellite-based navigation system to design routes as opposed to the decades-old beacon navigation system used today.

The project consists of new and replacement arrival and departure routes for McCarran International Airport, Henderson Executive Airport and North Las Vegas Airport.

A 32-day public comment period on the project’s draft environmental assessment began Monday with the release of the environmental assessment and runs through Dec. 20.

The draft environmental assessment revealed the project would not pose significant environmental impacts under federal environmental law.

The FAA will host five public workshops for the Draft EA between Dec. 9 and Dec. 13. The workshops will feature informational videos and display boards that show existing and proposed routes and explain the inefficiencies in the current system.

FAA representatives will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate the Google Earth features.

After evaluating and responding to public comments, the FAA could adopt the entire proposal, adopt portions of it, or modify it. Those possible adoptions could occur as early as the middle of next year.

The workshops will be open-house format, where people can attend any time during the posted times to learn about the project. Free parking will be available at all locations.

The workshop dates and locations are as follows:

Dec. 9

5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Clark County Government Center – Pueblo Room

500 S. Grand Central Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV 89155

Dec. 10

5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

North Las Vegas Airport Grand Canyon Conference Room

2730 Airport Drive, North Las Vegas, NV 89032

Dec. 11

5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Desert Breeze Community Center – Meeting Room

8275 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas, NV 89147

Dec. 12

4:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Windmill Library – Meeting Room

7060 Windmill Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89113

Dec. 13

5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Henderson Executive Airport North/South Meeting Room

3500 Executive Terminal Drive, Henderson, NV 89052

Additional information can be found on the project’s’s website, including previous public outreach activities, Google Earth images allowing people to compare current and proposed routes, and the noise analysis the FAA conducted at more than 172,000 grid points throughout the project general study area.