FAA to review airports with high nearby helicopter, airplane traffic

FILE PHOTO: A barge carrying a crane move parts of the wreckage from the Potomac River, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the river, by the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., February 5, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it has begun reviewing airports with high volumes of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic nearby after a fatal collision last week near Reagan National Airport in Washington.

In the aftermath of the crash between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, the FAA has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February, and two of the airport's lesser-used runways remain closed.

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz said earlier on Thursday that he asked the FAA to review other airports with high helicopter and airplane traffic for safety issues.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)