Proposed bill would limit flights to address 'hazardous overcrowding' of DCA airspace
Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
WASHINGTON - Legislation introduced by two Virginia senators aims to address the "hazardous overcrowding" of the airspace above Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). It comes nearly a year and a half after a deadly mid-air collision involving a jet and army helicopter killed 67 people.
What we know:
The DCA Air Safety Act, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (D-VA), would address some of the issues that led to the deadly collision in January 2025 by capping hourly arrivals and reducing flight clustering, the lawmakers said.
Under the proposed bill, DCA's Airport Arrival Rate would be lowered from 30 to no more than 28 aircraft per 60-minute period. The bill would also eliminate 30 slots over five years in an effort to reduce overcrowding. Six slots would be eliminated each year beginning in 2028. The bill outlines a public process for creating a list of slots to be eliminated.
The measure would also make reports to Congress, public comment and expert input mandatory.
"In the wake of the midair collision that killed 67 people last year near DCA, Congress must do more to ensure that the highest level of safety regulations is in place to prevent future tragedies," said Sen. Kaine. "While I support various proposals to help do that, it’s obvious that any set of reforms that doesn’t address overcrowding at this airport—which sits along restricted airspace and is already operating beyond capacity—is dangerously insufficient."
Deadly DCA collision
Dig deeper:
The deadly collision involved an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. It was the deadliest U.S. aviation crash since 2001.
READ MORE | DC plane crash caused by improper training, safety measures: NTSB report
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented several changes after the crash to keep helicopters and planes from sharing the same airspace in the region. Leaders also admitted that the agency had data showing safety concerns in the DCA airspace ahead of the crash.
"We had a bad plan in the region. It was a bad design," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said during a hearing. "There were absolutely data telling us it was a bad design, and we should’ve done something with it."
READ MORE | FAA official acknowledges warning signs before deadly DCA crash, defends ongoing safety reforms
According to Sens. Kaine and Warner, DCA has added 64 daily flight slots since 2000. On the night of the deadly collision, there was an 18-minute period during which one air traffic controller was responsible for managing 29 separate aircraft.
"DCA’s overburdened runway is the busiest in the country, and the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the January 2025 crash underscored the serious risks posed by unsustainable traffic levels at the airport. Yet since the collision, there have been numerous near misses in DCA airspace," Sen. Warner said.
The Source: Information in this report is from Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.