One year after an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided with an American Eagle CRJ-700 on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), killing 67, some temporary flight restrictions around the airport are being made permanent.
FAA Makes Flight Restrictions Around Reagan Airport Permanent
The FAA is making permanent changes to airspace restrictions around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) after the deadly crash in January 2025. After the crash, the FAA implemented temporary flight restrictions in the airspace over the Potomac River near the airport. According to a recently released memo, these are now scheduled to become permanent.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is formalizing permanent restrictions for helicopters and powered-lift from operating in certain areas near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), unless these aircraft are conducting essential operations.
In announcing the update, Secretary Duffy stated:
“After that horrific night in January, this Administration made a promise to do whatever it takes to secure the skies over our nation’s capital and ensure such a tragedy would never happen again. Today’s announcement reaffirms that commitment. The safety of the American people will always be our top priority. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with the NTSB on any additional actions.”
The interim final rule (IFR) goes into effect on January 23, 2026 and will prohibit certain helicopter operations when Runways 15 and 33 at DCA are in use. You can find the full text of the rule here.
My Thoughts
While the airspace around Washington D.C. is very congested, this change seems like a no-brainer. It is crazy that we ever had competing traffic operating so close to an active runway, especially given the amount of traffic in the area. The crash in question involved a helicopter on a training flight, something that could have easily been done somewhere else.
Hopefully this permanent change will make the airspace around DCA safer for all involved.
Summary
Temporary airspace restrictions placed around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) after the collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Blackhawk helicopter will become permanent.
The FAA published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) aimed at significantly reducing midair-collision risks when Runways 15 and 33 at DCA are in use.