FAA finalizes change to GPS air route near Kodiak, effective in October

GPS Route Change Coming to Kodiak Airspace

Pilots flying instrument routes in and out of Kodiak will have an amended GPS airway starting Oct. 29, 2026, under a final rule from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The rule amends area navigation route T-388 near Kodiak. It takes effect at 0901 UTC that day. The FAA said it is making the change "to increase the route structure connectivity in Alaska."

T-routes are satellite-guided airways set up for aircraft with GPS or GNSS equipment approved for instrument flight rules, known as IFR. The FAA has said the routes let pilots fly more direct paths at lower altitudes to avoid icing. T-388 runs from the WIXER waypoint to the BAILY fix through southwest Alaska, the airspace used to reach Kodiak and nearby communities.

Alaska pilots and operators who fly IFR rely on the T-route network to plan trips between towns. A change to a route like T-388 shifts the airway options that link Kodiak to the wider national airspace system. That affects flight planning, fuel and the backup airports a pilot can list as alternates.

The amendment follows a proposed rule and a public comment period. It is part of a broader FAA effort to replace aging ground-based navigation aids with GPS routes statewide, the same project behind T-377 and T-383 near Sitka in 2022 and proposed 2025 changes to Green 8, Jet Route J-115 and T-227.

The route description will be incorporated by reference into FAA Order JO 7400.11, which the agency revises each year and updates with conforming amendments. The rule, the comments and the background material are posted on regulations.gov.