The FAA is removing old radio navigation routes as it shuts down a key beacon

The Federal Aviation Administration is changing several flight routes over West Virginia. This is happening because a specific radio beacon, the Beckley VOR, is being turned off.

For decades, airplanes navigated using a network of ground-based radio beacons. These beacons defined specific "airways" that pilots followed. The FAA is now systematically decommissioning these older systems as part of a plan to move to satellite-based navigation. This change means pilots will rely more on GPS and less on physical ground stations.