Warner & Kaine Statement on Near Collision of Two Planes at DCA

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement regarding the near collision of two planes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Wednesday morning, the second near miss in two months:

“We’re deeply relieved that no one was injured after two planes nearly collided at DCA on Wednesday morning, but this incident is further evidence that the airport is severely overburdened and at capacity. It shows why the Senate’s decision to jam even more flights onto the busiest runway in America as part of the FAA reauthorization bill—a move we fought against for months—was so dangerous and reckless.”

For months, Warner and Kaine sounded the alarm about adding more flights at DCA as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. They filed an amendment to remove the ten additional flights in and out of DCA from the bill. Prior to the Senate vote, Kaine spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to strike the additional flights. Warner and Kaine ultimately voted against the bill because of this dangerous provision.

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