The US air traffic system is quietly removing old radio beacons, rerouting planes

The US Federal Aviation Administration is shutting down an old radio beacon in Washington state. This means some existing air routes that relied on that beacon will be removed or changed, and a new digital route will be established.

For decades, planes navigated using a network of ground-based radio beacons. The FAA is now systematically decommissioning these older systems as part of a plan to modernize air traffic control. This change means planes will increasingly rely on GPS and other satellite-based navigation, which is more precise and requires less ground infrastructure.