Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) doubled down during an interview on his concerns about the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) space being overcrowded following the fatal collision between a

God forbid waking up and looking in a mirror one day and say, ‘Wow, I was warned. I was warned and I shouldn’t have done this,’” Kaine said in 2024.

An airspace cluttered with passenger planes and military aircraft. A history of near-crashes. And a growing shortage of air traffic controllers available to manage it all. Some experts, politicians and airport managers have been warning for years of the risks posed by the crowded airspace and volume of flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., reignites concerns over air traffic congestion and safety risks at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Before the additional flights were approved, a senator warned that the increase could heighten the risk of collisions.

The plan to add five incoming and five outgoing flights was included in the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act last year.

The airspace where a deadly mid-air crash between a passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk occurred late Wednesday night is one of the most complex and congested in the country. Officials expect no survivors from the crash,

Lawmakers have expressed concerns about congestion in at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport amid a constricted space.

Political leaders had warned about the dangers of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. months before an American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on its approach to the airport.

We’ve been pretty plain about our [safety] concerns, but it isn’t a good time to speculate right now,’ Senator Tim Kaine said Thursday

A combination of factors may have played a role in the deadly airplane/helicopter crash, including increased air traffic on the world's busiest runway, vacant air traffic controller positions and outdated technology to make flights safer.

Following the deadly midair collision on Wednesday, our investigators found that dozens of close calls have been reported at Reagan National since 2010.