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Controllers raised Marine One radio problems a week before DCA close call

Published August 27, 2026 at 5:30PM

President Donald Trump, left, walks from Marine One to board Air Force One, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to South Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Air traffic controllers and the pilots of President Donald Trump’s helicopter met to discuss radio problems one week before a jet was allowed to take off from Reagan National Airport just as Marine One lifted off from the White House.

Controllers had reported not receiving the standard three-minute warning call ahead of Marine One flights, and both sides agreed to an alternative in those instances — but that plan, to relay the radio call through someone else, was also unsuccessful on the day of the Aug. 4 incident, the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report shows. The report was released Thursday.

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FAA investigating why a plane was allowed to take off from DCA as Marine One approached

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com

Published August 5, 2026 at 4:30PM | Updated August 5, 2026 at 7:51PM

Marine One, left, with President Donald Trump aboard, lifts off from the Ellipse, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a plane was allowed to take off as President Donald Trump’s helicopter was approaching Reagan National Airport.

The incident appears to be a violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision over the Potomac River. It occurred Tuesday afternoon as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard for the first leg of a West Coast trip.

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Trump’s arch proposal raises traffic, pedestrian safety concerns for Arlington planning staff

By Dan Egitto

Published July 20, 2026 at 10:00AM

A rendering of the proposed triumphal arch in Memorial Circle (via NPS)

A recent project review by Arlington County planning staff flagged numerous practical concerns about plans to build a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

Noting incomplete and sometimes inconsistent information in an environmental assessment by the National Park Service, county staff questioned likely impacts on roads, pedestrians, historic views and air traffic if the Trump administration builds a 250-foot arch in the middle of the Memorial Circle roundabout.

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Reagan National targets summer rebound after rocky start to 2026

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 19, 2026 at 10:30AM

The air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport on a sunny day (staff photo)

After a challenging 2025 and an up and down start to 2026, airport officials are hopeful for sustained passenger strength at Reagan National Airport through autumn.

“We anticipate the [summer] months to be strong,” said Paul Bobson, vice president for airline business development at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).

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JUST IN: Big delays at DCA amid “VIP” ground stop

By ARLnow.com

Published July 14, 2026 at 2:30PM | Updated July 14, 2026 at 3:40PM

The air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport on a sunny day (staff photo)

Flight diversions and delays of several hours are being reported at Reagan National Airport amid an ongoing ground stop.

The ground stop has been in effect since around 11 a.m. for a “VIP” security-related reason. No further details were given and the Federal Aviation Administration has not responded to an inquiry from ARLnow, but President Trump has been meeting with the Iraqi prime minister at the White House.

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Weeks of military flyovers planned for America’s 250th, starting Wednesday

By ARLnow.com

Published June 23, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated June 25, 2026 at 9:50AM

Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flyover in 2020 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington residents can expect more military flyovers — and more noise — in the coming weeks as the nation marks its 250th birthday.

The U.S. military notified D.C. that it will conduct aircraft flyovers near the National Mall from Wednesday, June 24, through Friday, July 10, as part of America’s 250th-anniversary celebrations, according to AlertDC.

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JUST IN: Fourth of July celebrations will close DCA runways, may cause flight delays

By Dan Egitto

Published June 16, 2026 at 4:30PM

A Delta flight at the gate at Reagan National Airport (staff photo)

The runways at Reagan National Airport will be closed for much of July 3 and 4 to accommodate celebrations in D.C.

Ambitious plans for a record-breaking fireworks display, coupled with aerial performances and rehearsals, mean that no flights will be scheduled at the airport after noon on the Fourth of July. Additionally, the airspace will be closed for several hours in the early afternoon on July 3.

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Reagan National opens 600+ new parking spaces ahead of summer travel

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 22, 2026 at 8:30AM

The departures lanes at Reagan National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Reagan National Airport’s parking crunch has become a little less challenging as the busy summer travel season arrives.

More than 600 new spaces became available this week, part of a parking expansion in the airport’s economy lot.

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Advisory panel wants another elevator, escalator at DCA’s planned pedestrian bridge

By Scott McCaffrey

Published April 13, 2026 at 10:00AM

Spring 2026 CC2DCA conceptual design (via Arlington County)

An advisory panel says the proposed pedestrian/bicycle bridge connecting Crystal City to Reagan National Airport falls short of optimal accessibility standards.

The current plan for an elevator and staircase at the Crystal City side of the crossing “is absolutely not sufficient,” said Pamela Van Hine, recording secretary of the Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC).

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Revised House aviation safety bill wins NTSB support, but victims’ families demand tougher timelines

By The Associated Press

Published March 26, 2026 at 12:45PM | Updated March 26, 2026 at 3:35PM

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., speaks during a news conference to discuss aviation safety reform legislation, including the ROTOR Act, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

A revised version of the House’s aviation safety bill now has the backing of the NTSB, but most of the families of the 67 victims of last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., still want to see tougher requirements to ensure the reforms are completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the Alert Act now addresses its recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying. The NTSB has been recommending the systems since 2008.

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Reagan National banks on spring break reversing traffic slump

By Scott McCaffrey

Published March 23, 2026 at 8:30AM

A Delta flight at the gate at Reagan National Airport (staff photo)

This winter’s “snowcrete” storm cost Reagan National Airport some passengers, but the looming spring-break season may turn things around.

January’s enplanements at Reagan National stood at just over 820,000, down 5.1% from a year before, according to data presented March 18 to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) board of directors.

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Residents question proposal to leave a portion of DCA pedestrian bridge uncovered

By Scott McCaffrey

Published March 16, 2026 at 11:45AM | Updated March 16, 2026 at 3:15PM

Spring 2026 CC2DCA conceptual design (via Arlington County)

Plans to cover only a portion of a quarter-mile pedestrian bridge between Crystal City and Reagan National Airport are raising concerns among some local residents.

Officials from Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services have proposed to cover the CC2DCA multimodal connection on the western portion as it passes above rail lines, then on the eastern portion as it approaches the airport. For aesthetic reasons, however, the current plan is to leave the bridge open to the sky as it passes over GW Parkway.