Sean Duffy, the US Transportation Secretary, expressed his disapproval after two commercial planes had to abort their landing at a Washington airport. This was due to an Army Black Hawk helicopter en route to the Pentagon.
Investigations are underway by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration following the incident that occurred on Thursday afternoon. Duffy intends to engage with the Department of Defense to understand why established safety protocols were not followed.
The NTSB reported that the event at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport involved a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the helicopter flying Thursday was in the restricted area.
The FAA, which manages the nation’s airspace and oversees aviation safety, has come under criticism after the NTSB said there had been an alarming number of near misses in recent years in the congested skies around Reagan National.
The closure of the helicopter route near the airport makes permanent the restrictions put in place after the January 29 midair collision.
The FAA order includes a few exceptions for helicopter use, including presidential flights along with law enforcement and lifesaving missions.
Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, ranking member of the Commerce Committee, which oversees the FAA, said about the Thursday incident that “it is far past time” for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the FAA to “give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves.”
Emma Johnson, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines, said that the safety of their customers and all people is most important and that they’ll “cooperate with authorities as they investigate.”
Republic Airways said in a statement that it is also cooperating with the investigations.
The US Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
