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5d ago

FAA Tightens Helicopter Safety Rules at Las Vegas Airport Following Deadly D.C. Collision

New restrictions at Harry Reid International Airport have reduced collision alerts by 30% in three weeks, with similar reviews underway at Los Angeles-area airports.

An American Airlines plane departs the Ronald Reagan Washington National, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River, with the Capitol dome in the background, as seen from Virginia, U.S., February 1, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 14: A Frontier Airlines plane prepare to take off from Harry Reid International Airport as Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines planes taxi on October 14, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holiday airfare prices are expected to be the most expensive in the last 5 years with Thanksgiving ticket prices up 25 percent from last year with the average round trip ticket price of $281. Christmas travel costs are up 55 percent from last year with round trip ticket prices averaging $435. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The FAA has implemented new helicopter flight restrictions at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, cutting collision alerts by 30% in three weeks.
  • The changes were prompted by a January 29 midair collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people and highlighted safety gaps in mixed air traffic operations.
  • FAA officials identified lapses at the Las Vegas airport, including a lack of traffic advisories for air tour helicopters, leading to routine separation rule violations.
  • A broader federal review of helicopter operations is underway, with the FAA also assessing air traffic management between two Los Angeles-area airports.
  • The measures are part of an ongoing effort to modernize air traffic systems, improve compliance with safety protocols, and prevent future rotorcraft-plane collisions.