FAR 71.1 incorporates FAA Order JO 7400.11K by reference, listing Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace, ATS routes, and reporting points. Study guide for pilots.
In Plain English
FAR 71.1 is the rule that tells you where the official lists of U.S. airspace live. Rather than printing every airspace boundary in the regulations themselves, the FAA incorporates by reference a separate document — FAA Order JO 7400.11K (dated August 4, 2025) — which contains the actual descriptions of:
Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas
Air traffic service (ATS) routes
Reporting points
The current edition is approved for use from September 15, 2025 through September 15, 2026. During that window, any proposed changes are published as proposed rules, and adopted changes are published as final rules in the Federal Register, then periodically rolled into a new edition of the Order.
Why it matters operationally: When you look up the dimensions of a Class B shelf, the floor of a Class E airway, or a VOR reporting point on an IFR route, those facts come from JO 7400.11K — not from Part 71 itself. As a pilot, you rely on charts and the AIM, which are built from this Order, so knowing where the legal source comes from is part of understanding U.S. airspace structure.
§ 71.1 Applicability.
FAA Order JO 7400.11K, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 4, 2025, which lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas; air traffic service routes; and reporting points, was approved for incorporation by reference (IBR) by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5U.S.C. 552 (a) and 1 CFR part 51. The approval to incorporate FAA Order JO 7400.11K by reference is effective September 15, 2025, through September 15, 2026. During the incorporation by reference period, proposed changes to the listings of Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas; air traffic service routes; and reporting points will be published in full text as proposed rule documents in theunless there is good cause to forego notice and comment. Amendments to the listings of Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas; air traffic service routes; and reporting points will be published in full text as final rules in thePeriodically, the final rule amendments will be integrated into a revised edition of the Order and submitted to the Director of the Federal Register for approval for incorporation by reference in this section. This IBR material is available for inspection at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact the FAA at: Rules and Regulations Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20597, (202) 267-8783. An electronic version of FAA Order JO 7400.11K is available on the FAA website atCopies of FAA Order JO 7400.11K may be inspected in Docket No. FAA-2025-1763 onFor information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit
Effective Date Note:
By Docket FAA-2025-1763, Amdt. 71-57, 90 FR 41890, Aug. 28, 2025, § 71.1 was revised, effective Sept. 15, 2025, through Sept. 15, 2026.
[Docket FAA-1763, Amdt. 71-57, 90 FR 41890, Aug. 28, 2025]
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Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1Where in the regulations would I find the actual boundaries and descriptions of Class B, C, D, and E airspace?
Per FAR 71.1, those descriptions aren't in Part 71 itself — they're contained in FAA Order JO 7400.11K, which Part 71 incorporates by reference along with ATS routes and reporting points.
Q2What is FAA Order JO 7400.11K and how does it relate to Part 71?
FAR 71.1 identifies FAA Order JO 7400.11K, dated August 4, 2025, as the document listing Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points; it is incorporated by reference into Part 71.
Q3How are changes to airspace designations made public during the incorporation-by-reference period?
Under FAR 71.1, proposed changes are published in full text as proposed rules in the Federal Register, and adopted changes are published as final rules, then periodically integrated into a revised edition of the Order.
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