'The Airport Said Don't Do It. And They Did It.'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

It’s no secret in Washington — in the halls of Congress and various agencies that call the city home — that D.C.’s airspace is “incredibly congested.”

That’s what former House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio said after a U.S. Army helicopter collided with a PSA Airlines passenger plane on Wednesday, killing all 67 passengers and crew members on board the two aircraft.

For years, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority warned Congress that the region’s airports were at capacity, DeFazio said in an interview with POLITICO Magazine. But their pleas for restraint fell short among lawmakers, who voted to add more flights to an airport already struggling with its heavy load and a shortage of air traffic controllers caused by previous government shutdowns and pandemic-era hits to its workforce.

“Every senator in particular wants a nonstop flight to and from wherever they live,” said DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat. He noted that a reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration passed last year added even more flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. “The airport said, ‘Don't do it.’ And they did it. So they added to what DCA said is already an overly congested and over-capacity airport.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/the-airport-said-don-t-do-it-and-they-did-it/ar-AA1yc33X

[spooky3]

1. The VA and MD senators voted against adding flights. nt

[FSogol]

2. The "even more flights" was 5 more flights. n/t

[Hekate]

5. Ever fill a cup right to the brim -- and add 5 more drops?

[spooky3]

11. 5 more incoming AND 5 more outgoing flights--see this article:

https://www.newsweek.com/lawmakers-voted-increase-flights-reagan-airport-crash-2023484

[Igel]

18. Sorry, that's funny to actually read.

If they added 5 incoming flights and no more outgoing flights then Reagan International would just fill up with planes until the runways were plane-storage facilities.

Unless they disassembled and trucked the planes out for reassembly at Dulles or BWI.

[spooky3]

20. For the purpose of considering traffic and danger, it's not funny. Nt

[NeoTrajan]

14. "5 more flights" equals "Even more flights"

A = A

[Igel]

19. Per hour? Per day? Per week?

Frequency's sort of a time-based thing.


I know you were responding to a quantity-based comment, but the frequency's kind of important here. I keep hearing quantity, not quantity/time.

[MichMan]

3. It passed the House 387-26 and the Senate 88-4

[SickOfTheOnePct]

4. DCA is definitely my airport of choice

It's close, not ungodly huge and difficult like Dulles (which I hate), and I rarely have a problem with delayed outbound flights.

The airport runs very smoothly, and the "congestion" issues I've seen aren't related to the number of commercial flights but rather it's all of the helicopters. Army, Marine, Park Service, local police, news stations - they're all over the place around the flight paths.

[IronLionZion]

10. Same here, it's always my first choice of the 3 in the area

We might find it easier to reroute the large quantity of helicopters instead.

[FSogol]

16. I live between DCA and Dulles, but try to only use Dulles.

I hate seeing that statue of Puke Reagan.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

17. I get that

I just hate walking 25 miles between my car and the gate at Dulles 😂😂

[IzzaNuDay]

6. A stretch of privilege

A non stop flight is nothing but stretching privilege. Let them fly hub flights, like the rest of us peons. That is a good way to meet the hardworking individuals who ensure they have a safe flight, and possibly meet constituents!

[pfitz59]

7. Don't forget all the VIPs

who want to fly in military helos.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

8. Agree 100%

That contributes to airspace congestion much more than an additional 10 slots per day for commercial flights

[DENVERPOPS]

12. And all the private jets

owned by corporate donors who are more than willing to fly politicians on their Corporate Jets, anywhere..... anytime.........for free....

The best Politicians that money can buy............

[erronis]

9. Too bad if we have one of these types of accidents with several congress people aboard.

[Tweedy]

13. And just to screw with everybody

The gop leader sent all air traffic controllers another email urging them to resign after the tragic mid-air collision.

This email included this gem of dangerous stupidity:

“We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so,” the email instructed. “The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/health-and-safety-alerts/faa-employees-received-email-encouraging-them-to-resign-a-day-after-dc-plane-crash-report/ar-AA1yctGR

Federal firefighters with the National Park Service received this same email after risking their lives fighting the Palisades fire.

Daniel Wu broke that news in the Washington Post.

This gop administration is very dumb. They seem to be channeling their inner Crassus.

[Skittles]

21. OMG I just read that about the 2nd email

FUCK EVERYONE who voted for these ass clowns - they are incompetent and they are DANGEROUS

[Mountainguy]

15. The added flights had nothing to do with the crash

The Army owns this disaster. They are the ones who let a blackhawk go off course and crash into a plane full of people.