The FAA is removing a key navigation beacon in Virginia, rerouting air traffic

The Federal Aviation Administration is changing several air traffic routes in the eastern United States. This is because a specific radio beacon in Roanoke, Virginia, is being shut down.

For decades, aircraft have navigated using a network of ground-based radio beacons. The FAA is slowly decommissioning these older systems as planes increasingly rely on GPS. This change means pilots will no longer be able to use the Roanoke beacon for navigation, forcing them onto new routes.