FAA Revises Helicopter Routes Near Ronald Reagan National Airport | Aviation International News

FAA Revises Helicopter Routes Near Reagan National

Zones and helicopter flight paths have been moved to mitigate risks of traffic conflicts

Reagan National Airport helicopter zone and route modifications — The FAA has published new zones and routes for helicopters flying in the area near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C.

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

June 16, 2025

As a result of the Jan. 29, 2025 nighttime midair collision between a PSA Airlines CRJ700 regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, the FAA has modified helicopter zones and routes near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA).

The vertical clearance between helicopters operating on one of the former routes and aircraft on the correct glidepath to KDCA’s Runway 33 was only 75 feet, and despite years of data about traffic conflicts in that area, nothing was done to alter these routes until after the accident. There were also many cases where the Army helicopters were not flying with ADS-B Out switched on, and the FAA now requires that military and government operators broadcast their position and identification using ADS-B Out, “with very limited exceptions,” according to the agency.

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