The Federal; Aviation Administration (FAA) said on April 2, 2025, that it is currently evaluating the rate of flight arrivals into Ronald Regan National Airport (DCA).
As part of the evaluation of arrivals at the Washington airport, the FAA said it will “review DCA’s arrival rate of aircraft per hour”, noting that this rate is currently “disproportionately concentrated” within the last 30 minutes of each hour.
In addition to monitoring arrival rates, the agency will also increase operational supervisor staffing from six to eight, while also reviewing certified professional controller staffing numbers at the airport.
The FAA currently permits 30 arrivals per hour at DCA, following a temporary reduction to 26 after a mid-air collision in January involving an American Airlines jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The cutback came after two smaller runways were closed in response to the incident.
The collision involved an American Airlines flight that was travelling from Wichita, Kansas to DCA when it collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter while on final approach to the airport. All 64 passengers and crew on-board the jet lost their lives, along with three people on the army helicopter.
Acting FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau said last week that the airport could eventually return to 32 arrivals per hour. "Right now, we're at 30, and we plan to maintain that until such time as we assess the safety and being able to go to a higher rate," he told Congress.
Rocheleau also told Congress that during a 13-year period, not a single month went by without “at least one” close call between a helicopter and a commercial jet operating at DCA.
Just last week, the FAA said would investigate a close call at DCA between a Delta Air Lines flight and four US Air Force jets. The Delta A319 aircraft was cleared for take-off from Reagan airport, while at that time, four US Air Force T-38 Talons were inbound to Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover.
In response to the January collision, and a series of near misses, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on March 11, 2025, that changes will be made “permanent” to prevent helicopter traffic near Ronald Regan National Airport (DCA), following the mid-air collision.
A preliminary report published in March by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that helicopters should avoid flying near Reagan National Airport when its two lesser-used runways are in operation. The report cited concerns about airspace congestion and potential conflicts between rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.
The Transportation Secretary also confirmed that in addition to restricting helicopter flights near DCA, the FAA will establish an alternative helicopter route to be used when the lesser-utilised runways are active.
Duffy also stated that restrictions on helicopter traffic were implemented within 36 hours of the January mid-air collision.