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Ask many frequent congressional flyers and they will tell you that Ronald Reagan National Airport has sent red flags for years.
“I have long been very nervous for congestion in Reagan National,” said Senator Tim Kaine, D-VA.
“The congestion of the Aerial space around Reagan and DC In general, he definitely participated in this, “said Senator Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., A former fire pilot.” The large number of airplanes in the air is as high as never before. “
“Many aircraft travel and down the potomac,” said Senator Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, a former navy combat pilot and astronaut. “Enter and leave certain areas. The Pentagon. Other military installations. Reagan right there in that very trafficked area.”
“Whenever I’m in Reagan and I see new doors being built, the increasing terminal, I realize that there will never be another inch of track. The sky is quite congested,” said Senator Kevin Cramer, Rn .D. “I often think there is too much activity for this small plot. And I’m sure there will be a re -evaluation of all this.”
Reagan National Airport Crash: Black Hawk Helicopter Military
A Jetblue Airlines Airbus A320 jet flies ahead of the U.S. Capitol dome, as there is a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The worst air disaster of the nation in almost a quarter of a century spilled on the Potomac River A short distance from Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. Sixty-seven people died after American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kan.
Aviation experts say flying and leaving Reagan National is one of the most complicated airports in the country. The focus of both north and south is on water. Pilots have to navigate a narrow hallway over the river, but do not fly on the nearby pentagon. This means anything from Piercing Washington, the DC Super-Protector Air Space. The White House and the Capitol of the United States are clearly visible when the planes take off to the north.
In addition, the airport is known on the notoriously short runway. The track on which the American Eagle flight sought to land extends a little over 5,200 feet. Slightly less than one mile in length.
It is not even the main track. Standard trade tracks have an average of 13,000 feet. The longest track in Reagan National is about 7,000 feet. In addition, the three tracks cross. This configuration is rarely seen at modern airports.
The mid-air accident between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter near Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC, was viewed in the Dashcam video of the joint-Bolling Base . (Storyful)
Last spring, there were two incidents where the planes almost crashed each other as they crossed the tracks.
The slopes are some of the most used in the entire American flight system. The airport was designed to manage 14 million passengers a year. But this number increased to 25 million in 2023. The airport has an impressive 800 takeoffs and landings every day.
There were efforts to close Reagan National when Dulles International Airport was opened in 1962. Dulles is a monstrosity of a campus. However, it resides at almost 30 miles from Washington, DC, adequate. The removal and agitators of the nation never recorded Dulles when it was so easy to fly to Reagan National, Depllane, to take a taxi and reach the State Department for a meeting 15 minutes later.
Legislators, aviation, national security officials and the Secret service He had serious conversations about the permanent closure of the airport after 11 of 11. It was thought that air traffic inside and out of Reagan National was too risk for the Government headquarters. It would not be necessary for the abductors to command a plane and to return it to Capitol Hill.
After all, a plane crashed against the Pentagon on 11/11. The fourth plane, which went down in a field near Shanksville, Penn. – He was finally tied to the Capitol.
Emergency workers regain waste from the Potomac River after the American Eagle Flight 5342 collision and a Black Hawk helicopter, as seen in Virginia, on January 30, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
That said, proponents of keeping Reagan National argued that it was almost impossible to abduct a plane raising -immediately send it to the chapter. It takes a while to get a kidnapping. There was simply not enough time to run this plan according to takeoff.
However, authorities closed Reagan National for more than three weeks after 11/11. New security rules were established once the airport was reopened. The planes could not have more than 156 places. All passengers had to sit for half an hour before disembarking. Aerial marshal patrols most, if not all flights inside and outside the airport.
Many of these restrictions were loosened by the Federals from a few months to almost four years after 11/11. But that did not decrease the security questions of this particular airport.
Victims identified in a DC accident involving American Airlines Jet and Military Helicopter
However, proponents of the maintenance of Reagan National had some of the most powerful allies in the country: members of the Congress.
The legislators maintain foolish schedules. In fact, the invention of the reaction aircraft contributed to this bed. The legislators are in great demand in their districts or states and Capitol Hill. This does not mean anything of conferences in Aspen or Halifax, and the brilliant background collections in New York or San Francisco. Thus, the air trip, along with access to a nearby airport, is paramount to the modern congress.
Even the importance of aviation is incorporated into the vernacular congress.
Mondays or Tuesdays are often considered “flying” days. The Chamber and the Senate do not really arrive until the day of the first day of the week. Thus, Monday votes could not be deployed until 5.30pm at the Senate and 6:30 in the House. Depending on whether the chamber (and sometimes the Senate) convenes a Monday or Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are considered days of “escape”. The house could cut the city late in the morning or at noon one day of the escapades. If the Senate does not work for five days (which has happened a lot this year, but not this week), the last vote often arrives around 14:15 or 14:30. on a Thursday.
Thus, legislators are of interest in keeping Reagan National Operational. Even after 11/11.
Congress re -authorized programs for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for five years in 2024. But one of the most controversial problems of the bill was whether Congress had to authorize daily “additional” slots for Reagan National. New and regular flights begin in a few weeks to Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, San Antonio and San Francisco. The legislators have blessed an increase of about 50 additional “slots” to Reagan National since the end of the century.
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He is saying that only four senators opposed the FAA bill last year. The four were the premises of Washington, DC, Senators of the area: formerly Cardin, D-MD., Who has just retired, along with the sens. Chris van Hollen, D-MD., Mark Warner, D-VA. And KAINE.
The Senate confirmed the Secretary of Transport Sean Duffy to vote bipartisan Tuesday. Duffy faced a crisis on Wednesday night. On Friday, the new secretary strengthened the air space around Reagan National for helicopters.
But, like everything in Washington, the key to Reagan National is accessible. It is difficult to find any important airport on the planet located so close to the power levers.
And whenever the White House, the Capitol of the United States, the Pentagon, a countless federal agencies and the pressure stores exist in Washington, it is doubtful that Reagan National will go anywhere.
Fox News Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
