A Message from Keith Meurlin, President, Washington Airports Task Force
Dwayne McGowan
•
01-31-2025 at 12:00 AM EST
The Washington Airports Task Force is deeply saddened by the loss of life and the tragedy surrounding the recent events at National Reagan Airport (DCA). Aviation is a close-knit community that works together around the clock to ensure the success of air travel. When tragedy strikes and lives are lost, we are left in shock and sorrow, and we mourn together. Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and all those affected. We stand with the first responders, recovery teams, and all the professionals as they continue their challenging and vital work during this difficult time. The Task Force remains committed to supporting our aviation community and those directly impacted by this tragedy.
Currently, it remains too early to identify the cause of the accident on January 29 involving an arriving American Airlines regional jet flight from Wichita, Kansas and an Army Blackhawk helicopter based at Davidson Airfield, Ft Belvoir, VA. We encourage all to follow the NTSB investigation.
For the future: One point being reported after the accident, and likely to be highlighted moving forward, is the high level of congestion in the airspace around DCA. Furthermore, the increase in flights authorized by Congress last year (and in previous years), set to begin in the coming months as part of the FAA Reauthorization process, has raised additional operational safety concerns publicly expressed by MWAA in late 2023.
For years, the Task Force has publicly opposed any additional flights at DCA, arguing that the airport is already too congested. The increase of 5 roundtrips (10 flights) will only exacerbate the situation. We support an expanded and new air service at Dulles International Airport, where capacity is unfettered. We advocate for a balanced aviation system in the region.
Right now, our most important priority is to keep the 67 people who perished, and their families, in our thoughts and prayers. We are deeply grateful to our extended aviation family for their unwavering efforts, and we will be here to offer support throughout this incredibly difficult time.