WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration plans to announce it is reducing arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns, after a deadly collision between a helicopter and American Airlines regional jet killed 67 people, according to an email seen by Reuters.
The FAA told airlines late Wednesday that the reduction from a maximum of 28 to 26 arrivals per hour would reduce risk but also increase average delays from 40 minutes to 50 minutes. The email said investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board “have expressed concern for our tower personnel on duty, who have an increased level of stress while also having a front row view of the accident recovery.”
The email added that reducing the rate from 28 to 26 “will reduce risk and allow a little space for extra coordination.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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