Reagan airport was at the center of a fierce safety debate last year. Lawmakers approved more flights anyway - ‘We’ve been pretty plain about our [safety] concerns, but it isn’t a good time to speculate right now,

On May 29, 2024, an American Airlines Airbus A319, in the early stages of take-off, was forced to brake heavily to avoid a collision at Washington National. The flight, with around 100 passengers and crew onboard, was headed for Boston Logan International (BOS) and had been cleared for take-off.

Deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., reignites concerns over air traffic congestion and safety risks at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

THE deadly American Airlines crash follows a flurry of near-misses and smashes at Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan National Airport – including a 1982 crash that killed 78 people.

Senators from Virginia and Maryland said a near-miss at the D.C. airport in April should be a "bright red warning light flashing before Congress."

Lawmakers have an interest in boosting direct flights to their states because Reagan is closer to downtown than Dulles.

The plan to add five incoming and five outgoing flights was included in the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act last year.

Political leaders had warned about the dangers of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. months before an American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on its approach to the airport.

Lawmakers have lobbied to add flights, while pilots have complained about the presence of military and other aircraft.

As the American Eagle Flight 5342, a CRJ jet, approached the helicopter, the tower controller asked the helicopter pilot if he had the CRJ in sight. The helicopter pilot cannot be heard responding to the question before the two aircraft collided.

President Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees have flooded the zone Thursday in back-to-back-to-back confirmation hearings.