Planned airspace reclassification around Nashville could bring significant changes for airports across the Upper Cumberland.
Upper Cumberland Regional Airport Director Dean Selby said the shift would expand Nashville’s airspace. It would also require stricter reporting requirements with the intention of making a safer environment for aircraft transiting in the airspace. Selby said airports here would see more traffic once the shift is made.
“A lot of the smaller GA (General Aviation) and even the corporate stuff will avoid the Class B airspace just because they know they are gonna get a lot of routing and a lot of off-route turns to get them through that airspace, and a lot of them will just go around,” Selby said.
Selby said the airspace change could also bring increased fuel sales at Upper Cumberland airports as traffic grows. He added that airports in the region will need to strengthen communication systems ahead of the shift, noting that the Upper Cumberland already faces challenges with limited remote communication coverage.
“This whole corridor through here, we have an issue with communication,s and they are kind of aware of it, but this has kind of brought that to light,” Selby said. “So maybe this will help us fix some of these other little minor problems that we would like to see solved, too. So, my personal opinion as an airport manager, it’s a good move.”
Selby said the airspace shift comes with both benefits and challenges for pilots. He explained that some pilots support the change because it would better organize air traffic and reduce the need to reroute to avoid potential conflicts. However, Selby said others are concerned they would need to purchase new equipment for their aircraft to operate in the newly designated airspace.
“Most aircraft are already equipped with ADS-B and emergency transponders, so they already have the equipment they need,” Selby said. “Some of them do not. Some of them will not be able to go within 30 miles of Nashville. They just won’t have the equipment to do it.”
Selby said the Upper Cumberland is a Class G airspace. Selby said airspace classifications are based on the density of aircraft traffic. Nashville is in the process of shifting to a Class B airspace, which is the largest classification. Nashville is expected to shift to a Class B airspace by the end of 2026.