Rise in Aviation Mishaps Focus of FAA Safety Summit

Transportation leaders and aviation stakeholders met Wednesday to discuss commonalities in a string of close calls at U.S. airports.

Amelia Walsh

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 05:22 PM ET

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“Initial information suggests that more mistakes than usual are happening across the system," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday during the FAA Safety Summit in Washington, D.C. [Credit: FAA/Screenshot]

Key Takeaways:

An alarming increase in close calls and runway incursions, including a recent incident at Reagan National, has prompted the FAA to hold a Safety Summit to address systemic risks.
Stakeholders at the summit identified surging air travel demand, staffing shortages (e.g., air traffic controllers), and insufficient funding for new technologies as key contributing factors to these incidents.
Despite the U.S. aviation system's strong safety record, officials are prioritizing vigilance, including the hiring of thousands of new air traffic controllers, to maintain safety amidst growing demand and evolving airspace.

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The day before Wednesday’s much-anticipated FAA Safety Summit to address a series of close calls and identify risks to the aviation industry, yet another alarming incident came to light.

A runway event occurred at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. on March 7. According to reports, a Republic Airways Embraer E175 made a wrong turn and crossed a runway as a United Airlines Airbus A319 was preparing to take off.