FAA Retires One Airway After Mississippi Beacon Dies
Published Date: 6/22/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA is updating some important flight paths (V-16, V-94, and V-159) and getting rid of one (V-535) in the eastern U.S. because a key navigation station in Holly Springs, MS, is shutting down. Pilots and airlines flying these routes will need to follow the new paths once finalized. You’ve got until August 6, 2026, to share your thoughts, and these changes won’t cost anyone extra.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Airways V-16, V-94, V-159 Changed; V-535 Revoked
The FAA proposes to amend VOR Federal Airways V-16, V-94, and V-159 and to revoke V-535 because the Holly Springs, MS (HLI) VORTAC will be decommissioned on April 15, 2027. Pilots and airlines that currently fly the affected segments (for example the V-16 segment between Marvell, AR and Holly Springs; the V-94 segment between Greenville, MS and Holly Springs; and the V-159 segment between Holly Springs and Gilmore, AR) will need to fly the new/adjusted routes once the rule is finalized.
Available IFR/RNAV/VFR Alternatives Listed
The FAA explicitly identifies alternatives so IFR traffic can continue operations when Holly Springs VORTAC is removed: adjacent VOR Federal Airways (V-9, V-159, V-278), ATC radar vectors, RNAV routes T-239, T278, and T-398, or point-to-point navigation using existing fixes. VFR pilots navigating via airways may also use the ATC services listed.
FAA Expects De Minimis Costs to Operators
The FAA states the proposed amendments are routine, are not a 'significant regulatory action,' and are expected to result in at most de minimis costs from compliance or minor flight rerouting. The FAA certifies the proposal "will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities."
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Key Dates
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