Ryan Knutson

Reagan National Airport sits directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. On a clear night, like it was on Wednesday, you can see the glowing white dome of the U.S. Capitol building and the floodlights on the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial during takeoff and landing. What makes this airport and this airspace unique?

Reagan National Airport sits directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. On a clear night, like it was on Wednesday, you can see the glowing white dome of the U.S. Capitol building and the floodlights on the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial during takeoff and landing. What makes this airport and this airspace unique?

Reagan National Airport sits directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. On a clear night, like it was on Wednesday, you can see the glowing white dome of the U.S. Capitol building and the floodlights on the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial during takeoff and landing. What makes this airport and this airspace unique?

Why even are there helicopters that are flying along this route where planes are coming in to land and take off?

Why even are there helicopters that are flying along this route where planes are coming in to land and take off?

Why even are there helicopters that are flying along this route where planes are coming in to land and take off?

Has the DC airspace always been this congested and this crowded, or has it been getting worse?

Has the DC airspace always been this congested and this crowded, or has it been getting worse?

Has the DC airspace always been this congested and this crowded, or has it been getting worse?

Just in the past few years, the Senate authorized an increase in flights at Reagan National Airport by as many as 10 per day. Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas said yesterday that he had successfully lobbied American Airlines to use one of its existing slots to fly a direct route to Wichita, the same route that had the crash on Wednesday. When he pushed for it, he said connecting Wichita to D.C.

Just in the past few years, the Senate authorized an increase in flights at Reagan National Airport by as many as 10 per day. Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas said yesterday that he had successfully lobbied American Airlines to use one of its existing slots to fly a direct route to Wichita, the same route that had the crash on Wednesday. When he pushed for it, he said connecting Wichita to D.C.

Just in the past few years, the Senate authorized an increase in flights at Reagan National Airport by as many as 10 per day. Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas said yesterday that he had successfully lobbied American Airlines to use one of its existing slots to fly a direct route to Wichita, the same route that had the crash on Wednesday. When he pushed for it, he said connecting Wichita to D.C.

with a direct flight would help local companies get federal work.

with a direct flight would help local companies get federal work.

with a direct flight would help local companies get federal work.

The agency charged with overseeing DC's increasingly crowded airspace is the Federal Aviation Administration.

The agency charged with overseeing DC's increasingly crowded airspace is the Federal Aviation Administration.

The agency charged with overseeing DC's increasingly crowded airspace is the Federal Aviation Administration.

But in recent years, the FAA has been under pressure. It's faced criticism for its oversight of Boeing. It's seen a lot of turnover in its top leadership. And it's struggled to fully staff air traffic control operations, or ATC, around the country. The FAA has acknowledged the staffing shortages and has worked for years to address it.

But in recent years, the FAA has been under pressure. It's faced criticism for its oversight of Boeing. It's seen a lot of turnover in its top leadership. And it's struggled to fully staff air traffic control operations, or ATC, around the country. The FAA has acknowledged the staffing shortages and has worked for years to address it.