The fatal aircraft collision that occurred on Wednesday has raised concerns about the complexity of the airspace surrounding Reagan National Airport in Arlington County. Representative Beyer highlighted that the airport, originally designed for 14 million passengers, served 25 million passengers in 2024, indicating a significant strain on its capacity.
In response to the incident, Beyer's office reached out to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, urging for a continued operational pause or rerouting of the Black Hawk helicopter training route near the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration took immediate action by indefinitely shutting down the low-altitude helicopter corridor that was in use during the collision.
Beyer questioned the necessity of conducting training flights in close proximity to the airport and suggested exploring alternative locations in Southern Maryland and Virginia. His office is advocating for a thorough evaluation by the defense department to determine whether the operational pause should be made permanent.
Highlighting the high volume of air traffic at Reagan National Airport, Beyer emphasized the need for enhanced safety measures. He pointed out that the recent collision was not an isolated incident, citing multiple near misses in the past six months.
