2026-22042·DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Establishment of Class D Airspace; Winter Haven, FL

Proposed RuleComment Period OpenComments open

Published: Oct 29, 2026
Comments close: Dec 14, 2026
Citation: 91 FR 68058
Docket: Docket No. FAA-2026-13869, Airspace Docket No. 26-ASO-18
Agencies: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, Federal Aviation Administration

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

Summary

The proposed rule would create a new Class D airspace around Winter Haven Regional Airport in Florida. Class D airspace is a controlled zone that extends from the ground up to 2,500 feet within a 4.4‑mile radius of the airport, and it is needed because a new air‑traffic‑control tower will be operating there. The controlled airspace helps keep instrument‑flight‑rules (IFR) traffic safe and organized by requiring pilots to communicate with the tower while inside the area. The rule is being issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, the aviation safety arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It applies to all aircraft that take off, land, or fly through the designated airspace around Winter Haven Regional Airport, as well as to pilots and airlines that operate in the surrounding region. The notice was published on October 29, 2026, and the public comment period ends on December 14, 2026. After the comment deadline, the FAA will review the feedback, possibly revise the proposal, and then issue a final rule that would officially establish the Class D airspace. Once finalized, the new airspace would become effective on the date specified in the final rule, and pilots would be required to follow the new communication and clearance requirements when operating within the defined radius.

AI-generated summary — verify against the Federal Register text.

Official abstract

This action proposes to establish Class D airspace extending upward from the surface up to and including 2,500 feet within a 4.4- mile radius of Winter Haven Regional Airport, in Winter Haven, FL, excluding that portion within the Bartow Executive Airport Class D airspace area, as a new air traffic control tower will service the airport. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at this airport.