The Federal Aviation Administration is rolling out a fresh blueprint for the skies over Phoenix, unveiling a plan to redraw arrival and departure procedures at Phoenix Sky Harbor and nine nearby Valley airports. The proposal leans on satellite-guided routings that federal officials say will boost safety and efficiency, and it arrives with four virtual public workshops scheduled for the week of May 13-20. A Draft Environmental Assessment and an interactive noise-mapping tool are hitting the public record at the same time, and neighbors who once pushed the agency to reverse parts of the 2014 NextGen rollout say they will be watching every move.
According to FAA, the Phoenix Area FAA Modernization Project would bring in new and updated Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures, using satellite-based routings meant to tighten climbs and descents, shorten flight tracks and cut delays. The agency says the reworked procedures are designed to “enhance safety and improve air traffic efficiency” in the crowded airspace over Sky Harbor and its reliever airports.
As reported by Arizona’s Family, the FAA has lined up four virtual public workshops. May 13 will focus on Sky Harbor, May 14 on the West Valley, May 19 on the North Valley and May 20 on the East Valley. The agency has posted registration links and a noise-mapping tool that lets residents plug in their neighborhoods to see projected changes in average sound levels. The outlet also notes that the near-term modeling year for the project is 2027, which is reflected in the Draft Environmental Assessment.
How the FAA is modeling noise
The FAA’s Draft Environmental Assessment is paired with an interactive noise-mapping model that shows average noise levels for two forecast years, 2027 and 2032. The agency says recordings of the workshops and related documents will be posted online so people who cannot tune in live can still dig through the details. According to FAA, the public comment period on the Draft EA has been extended to June 30, 2026…