By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A group representing U.S. airlines plans to urge federal aviation officials to permanently reduce helicopter traffic around Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., following a January collision by an Army Black Hawk into an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people.
Airlines for America, in written testimony prepared for a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on Tuesday, calls on the Federal Aviation Administration to permanently suspend some helicopter routes near the airport with limited exceptions for essential military or medical emergencies.
The testimony, seen by Reuters, also calls for military aircraft to be required to use a key safety system known as ADS-B near large airports in which aircraft determine and broadcast their position using satellite navigation to avoid collisions.
Airlines for America represents American, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other airlines.
The FAA has temporarily barred most helicopters near the airport – located in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from the U.S. capital – since the crash pending a preliminary report due out this month from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Black Hawk, carrying a crew of three, collided with the airliner, carrying 64 passengers and crew members, on the night of January 29, with the wreckage plunging into the river. There were no survivors.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said the Army helicopter was operating with its ADS-B turned off, which is permitted by the FAA for military aircraft.
Airlines for America wants the FAA to evaluate whether any helicopter routes that could conflict with airplane flights at Reagan could be moved farther away from commercial traffic.
The group also urged an immediate FAA review of air traffic near large airports.
“The FAA should conduct an immediate review of identified potential hot spots of conflicting air traffic operating near large airports,” the group said in the testimony, adding that the agency should be able to “to suspend or eliminate traffic routes if unnecessary risk exists.”
The FAA declined to comment on the testimony but noted that it is conducting a review of helicopter routes near other airports. The FAA is due to review the existing restrictions once the NTSB preliminary report is issued.
The FAA is allowing only presidential transport and emergency police or medical helicopters near the airport and banning civilian flights whenever President Donald Trump’s helicopter is flying nearby. These restrictions have significantly impacted flights.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a February 5 speech in Washington called for ending non-essential military helicopter flights near the airport.
“If we have generals who are flying in helicopters for convenience through this airspace, that’s not acceptable. Get a damn Suburban (vehicle) and drive – you don’t need to take a helicopter,” Duffy said.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Will Dunham)
