Disconnection Dilemma: Pentagon-FAA Hotline Outage
A crucial communication hotline between the Pentagon and FAA controllers at Reagan Washington National Airport has been inactive since March 2022, affecting flight operations. The U.S. Army has halted helicopter training flights in the Pentagon area after two passenger flights were disrupted. The hotline must be repaired for resumption.
- Country:
- United States
A critical communication link between the Pentagon and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers at Reagan Washington National Airport has been inoperative since March 2022, an FAA official reported to the Senate committee on Wednesday.
Due to the malfunction, the U.S. Army announced the suspension of helicopter training flights around the Pentagon on May 5. This decision followed incidents where two passenger planes had to abort landings at Reagan, as a Black Hawk helicopter operated in the vicinity.
Franklin McIntosh, the FAA's deputy head of air traffic control, informed the Senate Commerce Committee that helicopter operations would not be permitted to resume until the crucial hotline is repaired, emphasizing the importance of communication for aviation safety.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News