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

Verified

Edited By:

Jack Daleo

An FAA agency flag [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is increasing support and oversight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) to enhance safety, following a deadly mid-air collision and concerns about air traffic controller stress and understaffing.
Specific measures at KDCA include reviewing and increasing air traffic controller and supervisor staffing, adjusting aircraft arrival rates, providing wellness support for controllers, and implementing new operational rules like helicopter restrictions and ADS-B mandates.
More broadly, the FAA is "supercharging" air traffic controller hiring, piloting new technologies such as Starlink and AI for safety analysis, and the Department of Transportation plans to develop a state-of-the-art air traffic control system.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.