With input from NBAA, the FAA has taken steps it hopes will reduce air traffic congestion between the Northeast and Florida. So-called “Snowbird” routes connecting general aviation airports and Florida destinations can become clogged by significant volume between November and March, and crippling ground stops have resulted. Key choke points were identified as the eliot Intersection, white Intersection and wavy Intersection. The Florida Airspace Optimization project consists of a combination of revising preferential routing, redesigning sector configuration, increasing information flow to and from downstream sectors, and adding new “ultra-high-altitude” sectors in certain areas to focus on airspace above the existing high-altitude sectors–which typically top out at about 35,000 feet. For detailed information, visit:http://web.nbaa.org/public/ops/airspace/fao.