Alaska's air routes are being redrawn as old radio beacons shut down

The US aviation agency is changing several air routes in Alaska. This is happening because a specific radio beacon in Shemya, Alaska, is being turned off.

For decades, air navigation relied on ground-based radio beacons. These beacons are slowly being decommissioned as aircraft increasingly use satellite-based navigation systems. This small change in Alaska is a visible sign of that larger shift, as the physical infrastructure of air travel moves from the ground to space.