Air traffic routes in Michigan will no longer rely on a 1930s radio beacon

The US aviation agency plans to remove several air traffic routes in Michigan. These routes currently rely on an old radio beacon that is being decommissioned. This means planes will use newer satellite-based navigation instead of ground-based radio signals.

For decades, air traffic control has relied on a network of ground-based radio beacons to guide planes. These beacons, called VORs, were first developed in the 1930s. The US aviation agency is slowly phasing them out as part of a plan to modernize air travel with satellite technology. This change means less maintenance for ground equipment and more direct routes for planes.