# 2025-10431: FAA redraws invisible sky boundaries over two North Carolina towns

2025-10431, Amendment of Class D and E Airspace Over Hickory and Morganton, NC, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration published 2025-06-10, effective Will take effect after the usual review period; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-29).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10431
- As of: 2026-10-29
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-10431
- Title: Amendment of Class D and E Airspace Over Hickory and Morganton, NC
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration
- Citation: 90 FR 24358
- Published: 2025-06-10
- Effective: Will take effect after the usual review period
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: 2120-AA66
- Last updated: 2026-10-29

## In one line

FAA redraws invisible sky boundaries over two North Carolina towns

## Summary

The FAA is updating the airspace rules around Hickory and Morganton, NC to make flying safer and smoother. They’re expanding the controlled airspace near Hickory Regional Airport because of new flight procedures and runway changes. Pilots and local air traffic controllers will feel the difference, and the public can share their thoughts by July 25, 2025—no extra costs involved!

## Abstract

This action revises an earlier notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that the FAA published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2025, by replacing an incorrect reference point within the Class D and Class E2 airspace descriptions and by adding a reference to the Tawba Nondirectional Radio Beacon (NDB) to the Class E5 airspace description. This revised action continues to propose amending the Class D and Class E surface airspace at Hickory Regional Airport, Hickory NC, by increasing the radius and establishing an extension to the surface area due to standard instrument approach procedure and runway configuration changes. Additionally, this action continues to propose amending Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface for Hickory Regional Airport, Hickory, NC by increasing the radius and adding an extension. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations in the area.

## Effects PRIA read

- Surface Airspace Expanded at Hickory: benefit, low. The FAA proposes to expand the Class D and Class E surface airspace around Hickory Regional Airport by increasing the radius from 4.1 miles to 4.6 miles and by adding a surface extension within 2 miles each side of the 235° bearing from Hickory Regional Airport, extending from the 4.6-mile radius t…
- Higher-Altitude Class E Airspace Increased: benefit, low. The FAA proposes to amend the Class E airspace that begins at 700 feet above the surface for Hickory Regional Airport by increasing the radius from 6.6 miles to 7.1 miles and by adding an extension within 3 miles each side of the 055° bearing from the Tawba NDB, extending from the 7.1-mile radius t…
- Reference Point Correction and NDB Addition: benefit, low. The FAA proposes to correct an incorrect reference point in the Class D and Class E surface area descriptions by using Hickory Regional Airport as the reference point (rather than the Tawba NDB) so the proposed surface extension lies southwest of the airport as intended. Separately, the Tawba Nondi…
- FAA Finds Minimal Economic Impact: benefit, low. The FAA certified that this proposed airspace amendment is a routine technical change with minimal anticipated economic impact and will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. The FAA determined the proposal is not a 'si…

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## Sources
- [2025-10431 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/10/2025-10431/amendment-of-class-d-and-e-airspace-over-hickory-and-morganton-nc)
- [2025-10431 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-10/pdf/2025-10431.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-10424, Amendment of Class D and Class E5 Airspace Over Kinston, NC](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10424)
- [Next: 2025-10469, Updates to the Popcorn Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10469)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10431 (as of 2026-10-29).