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Crash near Reagan sparks debate over air traffic risks and airport expansion • Florida Phoenix
Crash near Reagan sparks debate over air traffic risks and airport expansion
by nathaniel cline, Florida Phoenix
February 1, 2025
The deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., has reignited concerns over air traffic congestion and safety risks at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a tightly packed aviation hub that shares airspace with military and government flights.
An American Airlines Bombardier jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter before crashing into the Potomac River while preparing to land at the East Coast hub Wednesday evening.
Reagan National, a tightly packed aviation hub that shares airspace with military and government flights, is the busiest airport among Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. The incident has drawn renewed scrutiny to the airport’s location, its restricted airspace, and the heavy volume of helicopter traffic around the Pentagon, White House, and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
Its proximity to the capital and especially the heavy volume of helicopter traffic complicates air traffic control and increases the risk of mid-air collisions, said William McGee, senior fellow for aviation and travel and American Economic Liberties Project.
“It is a really challenging place to operate,” said McGee. A former federally licensed dispatcher, he noted that Reagan’s tight airspace, heavy traffic, and short runways make operations especially complex.
From above, Reagan National sits between Virginia and Washington, D.C., separated by the Potomac River, forcing pilots to navigate a narrow corridor alongside military and commercial aircraft.
The airport’s runway is just 5,200 feet, far shorter than the 7,000 to 15,000 feet found at most major U.S. airports. Large aircraft like jumbo jets would require significantly more space to land safely, adding to the risks, McGee said.
Restricted airspace
For decades, the federal government has tightened airspace restrictions around Washington to prevent aircraft from crashing or landing near high-risk areas like the Capitol, White House, and National Mall.
Following the 9/11 attacks, when terrorists hijacked a plane and crashed it into the Pentagon — just 3.5 miles from the White House — officials established a 17-mile flight-restricted zone around the airport to control the airspace and limit access to commercial and government flights.
Despite these measures, Reagan’s approach corridor remains one of the busiest and most complex in the country, requiring pilots to perform a challenging maneuver before landing. The Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority (MWAA) reported in November that Reagan handles 380 domestic flights daily, up from 374 last year.
Lawmakers often rely on Reagan’s close proximity to Capitol Hill over alternatives like Dulles and Baltimore-Washington International, both more than 30 miles away. However, with passenger traffic surging from 15 million to over 23 million annually, some — including Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner — have raised concerns about whether the airport can handle more flights.
In response to growing demand, the airport authority has launched a $1 billion multi-year expansion project to accommodate rising passenger volumes. The airport has also expanded TSA security checkpoints to address congestion in the gate areas.
In May 2023, lawmakers approved a plan to add new flights under the FAA Reauthorization Act 2024, which includes provisions to expand passenger airline service, accommodate new airspace users, and reform regulatory oversight within the agency.
American Airlines began offering flights from Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Kansas to Washington, D.C., a year ago. However, the direct Kansas-to-D.C. route was not among the five flights added under the act. Instead, the airline was granted authorization for one additional round-trip flight under the law, operating between San Antonio, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
Lawmakers and passengers welcomed the new flights in 2023, viewing them as an expansion of travel options.
However, Kaine and Warner have consistently opposed increasing flights at Reagan National Airport, arguing the facility is already overburdened and that additional traffic poses an “enormous risk to passenger safety” while contributing to “alarming delays.”
‘… at the appropriate time’
At a press briefing Thursday, Warner, Kaine, and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., did not reiterate their concerns about airport congestion, instead focusing on supporting families affected by Wednesday night’s crash and ensuring a thorough investigation.
“We have raised this issue continuously. We’ve got very busy airspace,” Warner said on Thursday. “I think we will ask questions, but at the appropriate time.”
Kaine added, “We’ve been pretty plain about our concerns, but it isn’t a good time to speculate right now. We have faith that the NTSB will provide the answers about this here.”
Since 1964, Reagan National Airport has recorded only two non-fatal aviation incidents, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) records. In total, the agency has investigated 1,290 cases in Virginia, including four in Arlington — most notably the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.
More recently, Reagan has faced increased scrutiny. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a May 29, 2024, runway incident in which two planes nearly collided. FAA records show that an air traffic controller at Reagan canceled the takeoff clearance for an American Airlines flight because another aircraft was cleared to land on an intersecting runway.
With lawmakers continuing to push for increased flights at Reagan, consumer advocates argue that Wednesday’s crash must serve as a wake-up call for stronger safety measures.
“It is critical to reevaluate flight patterns, air traffic control resources, and safety protocols,” the National Consumers League said in a statement. “To restore passenger trust in air travel, we need a thorough, transparent investigation into this tragedy, along with a concrete plan to address the underlying issues of congestion and air traffic control shortages.”
John Breyault, the league’s vice president of policy, echoed these concerns. “While investigations will seek to determine the precise cause of this crash, one thing is clear — we must not wait for another catastrophe to make air travel safer.”
This story first appeared in the Virginia Mercury, a member with the Phoenix in the nonprofit States Newsroom.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
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Florida Dreamers aren’t giving up just yet
by Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
April 4, 2025
In a sweeping immigration bill designed to help President Donald Trump enact his mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants, the Florida Legislature earlier this year repealed a 2014 law allowing individuals brought to the U.S. as children without documentation, known as “Dreamers,” to pay in-state tuition rates at Florida colleges and universities.
That abrupt change will affect approximately 6,500 undergraduates, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
When the measure went before the Florida Senate in February, South Florida Democrat Jason Pizzo offered an amendment to grandfather in any dreamer enrolled in a state college or university so they could continue pay that in-state tuition for an additional four years.
It didn’t pass.
Advocates aren’t giving up, though. This week, the group TheDream.US trekked to the Capitol to resume the fight. Specifically, they hope to revive the idea of allowing students now enrolled to continue paying in-state rates until they graduate.
“Right now, they’re working on the budget, and we know that the budget needs to pass, right?” said TheDream.US president and CEO Gaby Pacheco.
“And so it could be a potential vehicle for us to get a grandfathered-in clause. The hope is that the House as they’re working through this perhaps put in an amendment. We’re not legislators, so we don’t necessarily know the ins and outs. We’re just hoping that they know that this is important for the state of Florida, for their constituents, for these students and our college systems.”
Pacheco made regular visits to the Capitol in 2023 to defend against the threatened cutoff of in-state tuition for dreamers. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced before that legislative session a slate of proposals cracking down on illegal immigration.
Yet, somehow, the law survived that year. It wasn’t the first time that some Republicans in the Legislature had attempted to repeal the measure. But after last year’s election, in which illegal immigration was a central issue, DeSantis made it clear to state lawmakers at the beginning of this year that he wanted the law struck down.
‘Everything that I’ve fought for’
Among those joining Pacheco in the Capitol this week was a 20-year-old student from the University of Central Florida who wanted to be identified only by her first name of Callie, out of fear she could be targeted because of her immigration status.
She’s a junior majoring in advertising and public relations who has accumulated 80 credits toward her degree and says that will be up to 100 by the end of the spring semester — not enough yet to graduate.
But as of July 1, when the law takes effect, she’ll be forced to pay full tuition. “That means I can no longer afford my public education and will have to give up everything that I’ve fought for,” she said.
In addition to her studies, Cailie works between 20 and 36 hours a week at Publix and spends her free time volunteering to help students prepare college scholarship applications. Her tuition is roughly $2,800 a semester, covered through a scholarship from TheDream.US. It will more than double after the law takes effect — an amount she says she can’t bear.
Cailie, 20, migrated to the United States from Haiti almost seven years ago. Her parents aren’t supporting her, she said, as she was forced to leave home at 16. Her rough upbringing compelled her to try to make a better life for herself but, without the benefit of in-state tuition, “it’s impossible.”
She spent part of Tuesday meeting with lawmakers to explain her plight, although she knows it’s an uphill battle.
“It’s hard to get people to change their mind, so all we’re asking for are the current students to be grandfathered in and protected for now,” she said. “Because most of us only have a few more credits to go, and it’s so unfair that we had to fight so hard to get here and just knowing that all of a sudden it meant nothing? That’s hard.”
Cailie’s ambition is to start her own business helping other students from low-income families get educations like she’s been able to achieve — for now, anyway.
“I want to be a role model to show them that I come from an undeveloped country, that I didn’t have the same opportunities as everybody else, and I made it, so it’s possible. The U.S. is a country of opportunists, but now I’m wondering if that’s even true anymore.”
Pacheco acknowledges her group has limited leverage with the Legislature, but believes it’s worth the effort.
“At the end of the day, we’re practically begging,” she said. “We’re saying, ‘Please do not do this to these students. Please do not do this to 6,000 young people who have worked so hard to get so far, and that are so close to be able to get those college degrees.’”
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
The post Florida Dreamers aren’t giving up just yet appeared first on floridaphoenix.com
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