Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) doubled down during an interview on his concerns about the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport space being overcrowded following the fatal collision between a military helicopter and an airline plane that killed 67 people.

An airspace cluttered with passenger planes and military aircraft. A history of near-crashes. And a growing shortage of air traffic controllers available to manage it all. Some experts, politicians and airport managers have been warning for years of the risks posed by the crowded airspace and volume of flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

On May 29, 2024, an American Airlines Airbus A319, in the early stages of take-off, was forced to brake heavily to avoid a collision at Washington National. The flight, with around 100 passengers and crew onboard, was headed for Boston Logan International (BOS) and had been cleared for take-off.

Reagan airport was at the center of a fierce safety debate last year. Lawmakers approved more flights anyway - ‘We’ve been pretty plain about our [safety] concerns, but it isn’t a good time to speculate right now,

Before the additional flights were approved, a senator warned that the increase could heighten the risk of collisions.

Deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., reignites concerns over air traffic congestion and safety risks at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

The plan to add five incoming and five outgoing flights was included in the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act last year.

Political leaders had warned about the dangers of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. months before an American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on its approach to the airport.

Lawmakers have expressed concerns about congestion in at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport amid a constricted space.

Lawmakers have an interest in boosting direct flights to their states because Reagan is closer to downtown than Dulles.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) doubled down during an interview on his concerns about the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) space being overcrowded following the fatal collision between a