In October 2023, the FAA initiated an audit regarding runway incursion risks at the busiest 45 airports in the US after multiple near-miss incidents were reported.
Over the three years leading to 2019, Reagan National Airport experienced 88,000 helicopter flights within 48 kilometers, which included a significant number of military and law enforcement flights, per a 2021 Government Accountability Office report.
An alarming mid-air collision took place involving a passenger jet from Wichita and a helicopter near Reagan, where both aircraft were operating in standard flight patterns.
The FAA’s audit aims to complete a risk profile for each airport and provide recommendations to enhance safety by early 2025, amidst ongoing concerns about aviation safety and air traffic control staffing.
