The U.S. Department of Transportation is adopting the NTSB’s recommendations regarding helicopter restrictions near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) and wants to put forward an ambitious plan to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS) and air traffic control (ATC) technology. These statements were made by DOT Secretary Sean Duffy during a press conference on March 11, following the NTSB’s preliminary report release and media briefing by NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy on the midair collision near KDCA in January.

“Thirty-six hours after the crash, we restricted this airspace, and we’re going to continue with those restrictions,” said Duffy. “That would be from Haynes point to the Wilson Bridge...the area right off of Runway 33 where the crash happened. We’re going to have a notice to airmen with the specific guidelines on how they’re going to fly this route. I talked to Secretary [of Defense] Pete Hegseth earlier today about giving the DOD a route around this restricted airspace, which I think the military is going to be fine with.”

He added that they will have special exclusions for presidential and vice-presidential travel, as well as provisions for law enforcement and life-saving missions, and details will be included in the notam.

Duffy, borrowing Homendy’s prepared graphic showing the lack of airspace separation at KDCA, emphasized the need for continued restrictions on helicopter Route 4 between Haynes Point and the Wilson Bridge.

“I want to also talk about another point that chair Homendy brought up: that over the last two and a half years, there have been 85 near misses or close calls, and that is close calls that are within 200 feet of vertical separation and 1,500 feet of lateral separation, incredibly close for aircraft,” he said. “I think the question is, when this data comes in, how did the FAA not know?”

The FAA is now employing AI tools to analyze data and prevent future incidents, according to Duffy. He said the agency can use AI to sift existing data and reports to find hot spots in airspace and at airports. “So if there’s another DCA-esque situation out there, our AI tools will help us identify those and take corrective actions preemptively, as opposed to retroactively,” he said. The analysis will begin with safety data at 12 major airports initially and then expand nationwide.

Also on the table is a call to modernize the NAS and ATC systems across the board and at speed; Duffy called for updating the ATC system in particular with fiber, wireless, radar, and satellite technology from its current copper wiring and antiquated systems that still use floppy disks—aiming for a comprehensive overhaul within four years.

To expedite the modernization of the air traffic control system, Secretary Duffy pledged to work with Congress to secure the funding, which he estimated could cost tens of billions of dollars. He acknowledged the need for lean government but emphasized the critical need for infrastructure upgrades in the industry.

“We’re not going to do a partial [upgrade],” Duffy said. “We are going to give you a brand new system, the best of the best, state of the art. We’re America. We deserve that... I think the American people want it, and I think that Congress wants it, and I’m going to give them a plan that will show that we can do it.”

Later, he reinforced the point, adding, “I think the promises that have been made for over a decade that have never come to fruition can actually happen. And again, I would just note that President Trump moves at a different speed, and he brings in different talent to help accomplish the goals of his administration, and we’re going to tap into that talent.”

“I applaud DOT Secretary Sean Duffy’s remarks and efforts today to address aviation safety and his focus to modernize our nation’s air traffic control system as quickly as possible,” said Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association president and CEO Darren Pleasance in a statement issued following Duffy’s comments.