FAA tightens safety rules for helicopters and planes around major airports
Source: NPR
March 18, 2026 12:21 PM ET
WASHINGTON — Regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration are tightening safety rules in congested airspace around major airports, suspending the use of visual separation between helicopters and planes, the agency said on Wednesday.
The announcement comes more than a year after a U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people.
The FAA also identified two recent close calls that led to the change in policy, including an incident involving a commercial jet and a police helicopter at San Antonio International Airport in February, and a second incident in March involving a Beechcraft 99 and a helicopter at Hollywood Burbank Airport near Los Angeles.
"We are proactively mitigating risks before they affect the traveling public," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement. "We identified an overreliance on pilot 'see and avoid' operations that contribute to safety events involving helicopters and airplanes."
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/18/nx-s1-5752185/faa-airport-safety-rules-helicopters
Link to FAA PRESS RELEASE - Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy & Federal Aviation Administration Announce New Measure to Enhance Safety between Airplanes & Helicopters