The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board plan to brief senators Thursday on last week's midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter near Washington Reagan National Airport that killed 67, a committee aide said. In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February with exceptions for police and medical helicopters, air defense and presidential air transport. The FAA said in a notice posted Tuesday that civilian airplanes may not fly in the area around Reagan airport when helicopters are present.<br/>
general
Elon Musk’s team will now dig into the nation’s aviation system, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday. Musk, on the social media platform X, said that President Trump’s cost-cutting group, the Department of Government Efficiency, will work to “make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.” “Just a few days ago, the F.A.A.’s primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours!” Musk wrote. Musk’s comments came after a system used by the F.A.A. to send out real-time critical safety alerts to pilots experienced an outage last weekend, just days after a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington. It also comes as Musk has disrupted vast parts of the federal government, shocking the work force and sparking protests. The aviation system, known as NOTAM, short for Notice to Air Missions, is an alert system that the F.A.A. uses to share information about hazards in the air or on the ground with airlines, such as runway closures and airspace restrictions. However, a back-up system kicked in and operated without disruption. This weekend’s outage was the second time the system went down in recent years. In January 2023, a system outage grounded thousands of departing flights across the country for about 90 minutes, leading to widespread delays. It is unclear what the group’s plans are for improving the nation’s aviation infrastructure and safety system. Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, confirmed on the social media platform X that he had spoken to the Department of Government Efficiency team about this new effort but didn’t provide any insights into the discussion.<br/>
Pilots and air traffic controllers notified authorities about airplanes and helicopters flying alarmingly close at Reagan National Airport (DCA) in at least 15 incident reports dating back to 1991, according to an ABC News review of the reports. Some of the reports warned that the flight space was "an accident waiting to happen" with others describing scenarios eerily close to what occurred when a military Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 last week as the passenger jet approached the airport. "One of these incidents would have been too many," said former Air Force pilot and ABC News aviation consultant John Nance. "This barometer is in the red. It's telling us there is a real problem here. There is a very, very clear track record of something that needs to be fixed." There are at least four reports of safety incidents associated with runway 33, the same runway that AA 5342 was approaching when the collision that took 67 lives occurred. "This has been happening too many times over the years, and it’s now led to a tragedy that could have been prevented," said Steve Ganyard, a former Marine Corps fighter pilot and ABC News contributor. The safety reports were filed with the Aviation Safety Reporting System, a program established by the FAA and managed by NASA that enables professionals within the aviation community to voluntarily and confidentially report safety concerns and incidents in a non-punitive manner.<br/>
The European aviation industry has drastically scaled back its ambitions for hydrogen-powered planes to help it reach net zero by 2050, according to a new forecast that warns the costs of decarbonisation have “ballooned”. Airlines, airports and other parts of the aviation sector have committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a mix of new technologies, particularly by switching to alternative fuels. But in an update to a net zero road map published on Tuesday, industry groups said they expected hydrogen-powered planes to be responsible for just 6% of net emissions reductions by 2050, down from 20% in 2021. “The contribution by hydrogen-powered aircraft and the switch to hydrogen as fuel is notably reduced,” said the report, which was commissioned by five trade bodies as an update to an original 2021 net zero plan. “This is due to the lower anticipated market share of hydrogen-powered aircraft . . . and the later entry into service of the hydrogen-powered single-aisle [aircraft],” it added. The trade bodies reaffirmed the overall commitment to reaching net zero by 2050 but said the report represented a “reality check” for the European Commission and called for “urgent action” to support decarbonisation efforts. The industry’s report also forecast that European aviation faces more than E1.3t in extra costs to reach net zero, E480bn more than previously thought. “The costs of getting to net zero have ballooned . . . We as [an] aviation industry can simply not do this alone,” said Olivier Jankovec, director-general of airport trade body ACI Europe.<br/>
Dublin Airport will bid for a third time to end the row over its 32m-a-year passenger limit when it again asks planners on Thursday for an increase to 36m. Fingal County Council last month ruled invalid an application to lift the limit to 36m, lodged by State-owned airport operator DAA in December. The company intends to file a second application on Thursday with Fingal for a 4m boost to the controversial existing passenger cap, DAA confirmed. That application will be the third time the company has sought an increase to the limit. In December 2023, the airport operator asked the council to lift the cap to 40m when it had also applied for permission to extend airport facilities. DAA’s bid for a 4m increase is a short-term measure to allow Dublin Airport to cater for growing demand while planners consider the more complex 40m application. Fingal’s announcement last month that the first interim planning application was invalid sparked a row with DAA, which had earlier said the council had validated the application. The company later produced correspondence which it said confirmed this, but the council maintained this was not the case.<br/>
Passenger traffic across Abu Dhabi's five airports hit a record 29.4m travellers in 2024, up 28% year-on-year, driven by growth at Zayed International Airport that is home to Gulf major Etihad Airways. Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport handled 28.8m passengers last year, up from 22.4 in 2023, as the emirate's main hub added airlines and expanded its network, state-owned operator Abu Dhabi Airports said on Wednesday. Zayed International Airport connected travellers to a network of more than 125 destinations with 29 routes launched last year. The airport, which opened the new Terminal A in November 2023, added eight airlines last year, including British Airways, Air Astana, Aegean Airlines, US Bangla Airlines, Akasa Air, Hainan Airlines, Flynas and Turkmenistan Airlines. “2024 was a highly successful year for Abu Dhabi Airports, marked by record-breaking passenger traffic, significant cargo growth, and the successful completion of key infrastructure projects,” Elena Sorlini, managing director and CE at Abu Dhabi Airports, said.<br/>
The government said Thursday it will deploy thermal imaging cameras and bird detection radar systems at all domestic airports to prevent airplane bird strikes following last month's deadly Jeju Air Co. crash. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported a comprehensive aviation safety improvement plan to a National Assembly special committee, outlining new measures to prevent future bird strike incidents at airports. Currently, only four airports in Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju Island have thermal imaging cameras for bird detection. The government plans to install at least one camera at all 15 domestic airports, with procurement set to begin in March. Additionally, the use of vehicle-mounted acoustic deterrent devices, which emit sounds and ultrasonic waves to scare away birds, will be expanded. These devices are currently only available at Incheon and Jeju, but more will be deployed throughout the year. To further enhance detection capabilities, the government will also introduce bird detection radar systems at all airports to provide early warnings to aircrafts. Furthermore, the ministry said it plans to increase the number of personnel dedicated to bird strike prevention at airports, ensuring that at least two staff members are always on duty.<br/>
Airbus had a relatively slow start to the year in commercial jet production and deliveries after sprinting towards the finish line in December following months of supply chain turbulence, according to data from UK-based Cirium Ascend. The European planemaker handed over around 22 aircraft in January, global head of consultancy Rob Morris told Reuters, down from 30 a year earlier. The start of the year can be fluid as analysts try to unpick which aircraft fall in which period, and some sources say the final tally can be slightly higher than observable deliveries. Airbus faced a shortage of engines in January after striking a deal with engine supplier CFM to bring forward some deliveries for December, industry executives have said. Airbus also saw a drop in the number of first flights that roughly track underlying production levels. The planemaker staged maiden flights for 38 A320-family and two A220 jets in January, down from 44 and 5 respectively a year earlier, Morris said. Airbus delivered 766 jets in 2024, close to a headline target of around 700 deliveries, which had been revised down from 800 in the middle of last year due to parts shortages.<br/>
Brazilian planemaker Embraer shares rose more than 15% on Wednesday, hitting an all-time high after the company announced a deal to supply Flexjet with up to 212 jets, a contract valued at up to $7b at current list prices. The agreement represents the largest firm order for Embraer's executive aircraft, with firm orders for 182 aircraft and options for another 30, the group said in a statement. "Although an order of this size very likely includes discounting, the depth and breadth of this order looks robust, in terms of what it means for the company's backlog and jet delivery stream," analysts at Citi said in a note. Sao Paulo-traded shares of Embraer, which more than doubled in value in 2024, were up 15% on Wednesday to top 66 reais ($11.4) each, becoming the top gainer on Brazil's benchmark stock index Bovespa. The order from Flexjet, which allows clients to buy a part-share in aircraft, comes as a major boost for the Brazilian company, which had already been riding tailwinds on strong demand for its commercial and military aircraft. The deal comprises a fleet of Praetor 600, Praetor 500 and Phenom 300E jets along with related services and support. "This is the largest order placed by Flexjet in its 30-year history and is also the largest firm order for Embraer's executive aircraft," the Brazilian company said.<br/>