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FAA Implements New Safety Measures Following Deadly Reagan National Collision

The agency is increasing staffing, restricting non-essential helicopter operations, and providing stress management support after a series of incidents raised aviation safety concerns.

FILE - Rescue and salvage crews pull up a part of a Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided midair with an American Airlines jet, at a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Feb. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
FILE - A piece of wreckage is lifted from the water onto a salvage vessel near the site in the Potomac River of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Feb. 4, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
A plane prepares to land as other planes wait their turn in a busy runway at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, walks to the Senate chamber as the Senate works to avert a partial government shutdown ahead of the midnight deadline, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Overview

  • The FAA is increasing operational supervisor staffing at Reagan National Airport from six to eight and reviewing air traffic controller staffing levels.
  • Non-essential helicopter operations have been permanently restricted, and the specific route involved in the January collision has been closed.
  • A Critical Incident Stress Management team will provide confidential counseling to air traffic controllers, with regular wellness checks also planned.
  • The FAA is reassessing the airport's arrival rates, which are heavily concentrated in the last 30 minutes of each hour, as part of broader safety reforms.
  • Recent incidents, including a near-miss between a Delta jet and Air Force planes and a fight in the control tower, highlight ongoing operational pressures and safety challenges.