WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing why controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport did not halt nearby air traffic Tuesday as President Trump’s helicopter, Marine One, lifted off from the White House lawn — a step normally required under established aviation safety procedures.
Reagan National sits less than five miles from the White House, making coordination especially sensitive whenever the president departs by air. Flights in the area are typically paused to maintain “standard separation,” the required buffer between aircraft designed to prevent any risk of a midair collision.
The Wall Street Journal was first to report that the FAA had opened an inquiry into the episode.
“There was momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another,” the FAA said in a statement to The Post.
The agency added that the controller was communicating with both the commercial aircraft pilot and the Marine One pilot during the brief separation issue. “As the White House has said, the President was never in danger. We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings,” the FAA said.
Flight operations around Reagan National have faced heightened scrutiny since Jan. 29, 2025, when an American Airlines regional jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter while approaching the airport, a disaster that killed 67 people.
