In brief
The FAA announced that air traffic controllers will now utilize radar to maintain safe distances between helicopters and airplanes at over 150 major airports. This decision comes after a deadly midair collision in January 2025 claimed 67 lives. The goal is to increase safety by moving away from the previous visual checks that are prone to error. Officials believe that the reliance on pilots to visually separate aircraft has been inadequate, particularly in busy airspace.
Air traffic controllers will now use radar, not just visual checks, to ensure that helicopters maintain safe distances from arriving and departing airplanes, following a fatal midair collision near Washington, D.C. in January 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that recent near-misses highlighted the inadequacy of previous safety guidelines that relied on pilots maintaining visual separation. The new requirement, mandating radar use at over 150 of the nation's busiest airports, aims to prevent such tragedies in the future. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford emphasized that these changes are proactive steps to mitigate risks before they affect the traveling public. The collision in question was the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001, claiming 67 lives, including many young figure skaters and their coaches.
