FAA Boosts Support for Controllers at Reagan National Airport

Regulator plans to review staffing levels and arrival rates and will offer confidential support for stress.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, April 02, 2025 at 04:45 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

An FAA agency flag [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Following a deadly mid-air collision, the FAA is implementing enhanced safety measures and increased oversight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), including operational changes like restricting nonessential helicopters, requiring ADS-B Out, and reviewing arrival rates.
The FAA is also addressing controller well-being and staffing at KDCA, examining the currently understaffed tower, increasing operational supervisors, and providing wellness checks and critical incident stress management (CISM) support.
These targeted actions are part of a broader FAA effort to "supercharge" air traffic controller hiring and integrate new technologies like AI for identifying safety "hot spots," all while navigating wider federal workforce challenges such as layoffs and buyout offers.

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The FAA is offering new support and oversight for air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), the latest push to improve safety in the wake of the deadliest commercial aviation accident in decades in the U.S.

The regulator on Wednesday said it plans to examine staffing levels in the airport’s control tower, which like many across the country is understaffed. It plans to increase the number of operational supervisors from six to eight and review certified professional controller (CPC) numbers. As of early February, there were 25 CPCs staffing the tower at KDCA, about 89 percent of the agency’s target of 28.