Why It Matters

As the nation grapples with a troubling surge in near-collisions and accidents, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation held a congressional hearing June 23 on aviation safety. The Trump administration has proposed modernization spending and new safety protocols, but industry leaders signaled the response remains insufficient. A Delta Airlines flight nearly collided with an American Airlines aircraft at Boston Logan International Airport just days before the hearing, underscoring the urgency of the moment.

The subcommittee examined systemic vulnerabilities in the national airspace system. The hearing revealed stark disagreements over funding levels, staffing, and technology deployment, with witnesses pushing back against what they characterized as half-measures in the face of genuine peril.

The Big Picture

Aviation safety has become a bipartisan flashpoint. On January 29, 2025, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with PSA Flight 5342 over the Potomac, killing 67 people. Since then, a single-engine turboprop crashed in Butler, Missouri, killing 12 individuals in the two weeks prior to this hearing. On June 15, a B-52 crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base, killing eight people. In May, United Flight 169 struck a light pole on final approach at Newark Liberty International Airport, throwing the pole into a tractor trailer on the New Jersey Turnpike.

The National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy warned in November 2023 that the concerning uptick in close call incidents is a clear warning sign that the U.S. aviation system is sharply strained. Senator Tammy Duckworth chaired an earlier committee hearing in November 2023 on the topic of close calls in the national airspace system.

Chairman Jerry Moran of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation convened a hearing in May on the FAA's progress in implementing safety recommendations following the DC metro area crash. The House has overwhelmingly approved the bipartisan Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026, which addresses all 50 safety recommendations from the NTSB's final report on the DCA crash. The Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved $5 billion to continue FAA modernization efforts.

In March, the Trump administration published an Interim Final Rule that permanently restricts helicopters and powered-lift aircraft from operating in certain areas near Washington National Airport (DCA), unless for essential operations. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that the administration took decisive action immediately following the January 2025 midair collision to reduce risk in the airspace. In addition, $12.5 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) is intended to replace core infrastructure at more than 4,600 sites nationwide.

Aviation Testimony

Four industry leaders testified before the subcommittee, each representing a critical piece of the aviation ecosystem. Governor Chris Sununu, the former Republican Governor of New Hampshire, testified as President and CEO of Airlines for America, the principal trade association for U.S. airlines. Todd Hauptli, CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives, represented airport interests. James Viola, who joined the General Aviation Manufacturers Association in March 2025 after serving as a senior executive at the FAA, spoke for general aviation manufacturers. Captain Jason Ambrosi, a current international captain on Boeing 767s at Delta Air Lines and president of the Air Line Pilots Association, testified for pilot interests.

The hearing revealed a sharp divide over whether federal action matches the scale of the crisis. Industry witnesses expressed support for the $12.5 billion investment as a down payment toward air traffic control modernization, but pressed for more aggressive timelines and funding. Secretary Duffy stated that decades of neglect have left the nation with an outdated air traffic control system that is showing its age.

Sununu praised Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford for moving urgently on a "Brand New Air Traffic Control System" (BNATCS) at the April 21 Modern Skies Summit. Yet his testimony hinted at frustration with the pace. Airlines for America's written testimony stated that the industry is extremely grateful for aviation safety professionals, a formulation that suggested gratitude for individuals rather than systemic solutions.

Hauptli emphasized that surface surveillance tools are expected to be in place at more than 200 airports in the months ahead, but the timeline underscored how far the system still lags. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association represents the interests of over 140 airframes, avionic engine and component manufacturers, and Viola's testimony focused on ensuring that smaller operators are not left behind in modernization efforts.

Ambrosi has been a prominent voice following the PSA Airlines Flight 5342 tragedy. The NTSB found that ADS-B In technology could have saved all 67 lives aboard Flight 5342. Ambrosi has highlighted a 60-second versus 19-second warning differential as a central safety argument regarding ADS-B In technology and Flight 5342. He has stood with victims' families and bipartisan members of Congress to call for passage of the ROTOR Act.

Safety Standards and Funding Gaps

The administration has unveiled "Flight Plan 2026," described as the FAA's agency-wide strategy built on three pillars, specifically people, safety, and National Airspace System modernization. Secretary Duffy announced the FAA hit its FY2025 air traffic controller hiring goal by bringing in 2,026 new controllers against a target of 2,000.

Airlines and aviation industry groups have advocated that much more funding is needed to modernize U.S. air traffic control infrastructure. The FAA stated that OBBB funding is already having tangible results, but industry witnesses made clear the math does not add up. One witness calculated that current funding covers roughly one-third of what the system requires, leaving a $30 billion gap.

The 1500-hour rule for pilot training came out of the Colgan Air tragedy. Senator Tammy Duckworth fought to protect the 1500-hour rule to ensure pilots have necessary training for split-second decisions. Yet training standards alone cannot compensate for aging radar systems and understaffed control towers.

Accident Prevention Vulnerabilities

The U.S. aviation safety record has been built through decades of disciplined collaboration among airlines, manufacturers, airports, pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, dispatchers, and traffic controllers. Yet that collaborative ethos alone has not prevented recent near-misses.

Delta Airlines Flight 2351 with 129 passengers and 6 crew members on board was on approach at Boston Logan International Airport on June 20 when air traffic control cleared American Airlines Flight 3161 to take off moments before the Delta flight was about to touch down on an intersecting runway. The Delta crew spotted the American flight and executed a go-around to avoid a collision.

The incident crystallized the core problem: human reflexes and institutional vigilance can prevent disasters, but they cannot be the primary defense. The FAA says the system itself requires modernization to reduce the frequency of situations where split-second decisions determine whether hundreds of people live or die.

What's Next

The subcommittee is expected to push for accelerated funding timelines and more aggressive FAA hiring. Bipartisan agreement that the safety of the National Airspace System must be strengthened suggests legislative movement is likely. The House-passed ALERT Act provides a blueprint for Senate action. The FAA's sweeping safety overhaul is reshaping how America flies, according to industry observers. But the hearing made clear that reshaping remains a work in progress.

The Bottom Line

Aviation safety professionals have prevented catastrophe repeatedly in recent months, but a strained system cannot rely indefinitely on human intervention to avert disaster.

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