American Airlines CEO Meets Trump on Air Traffic Control Modernization

On 29 January 2025 an American Eagle regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and fell into the Potomac River. All 67 people on both aircraft died. In the weeks that followed, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom met President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at the White House to discuss modernising US air traffic control. This page covers that meeting, what the NTSB later concluded and what the modernisation plan looks like now.

The meeting

American said after the meeting that it would keep working with the President, Secretary Duffy, Congress and the industry to improve safety in US airspace. On 6 February 2025 President Trump described US air traffic control technology as obsolete and said a new system was needed. He also criticised the FAA and Department of Transportation for delays in upgrades. Early reports at the time said the Reagan National tower had recorded the helicopter above its authorised altitude limit of 200 feet, but the NTSB had not yet issued findings.

What the NTSB concluded

The collision involved a Bombardier CRJ700 operating as American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Sikorsky UH-60. The NTSB's final report, published in early 2026, as summarised by Airline Ratings, found a breakdown in separation between the helicopter and the jet. Main findings:

• The FAA had placed a helicopter route close to the runway approach path without enough measures to manage the collision risk.
• Safety reviews of that route were not carried out as required.
• The helicopter crew could not keep visual separation in time, and they did not receive information on the jet's approach because of poor radio reception.
• The helicopter had no integrated traffic awareness or collision avoidance system.

The report also recommended less reliance on visual separation in busy airspace, better sharing of safety data between the FAA and the military, and a review of helicopter routes near airports.

The wider air traffic control modernisation

The FAA has run a modernisation programme called NextGen since 2007. A 2024 report by the DOT Inspector General found that NextGen had delivered less than promised and that full implementation could run until 2030. After the collision, the debate moved to replacing older systems.

• Funding: Congress provided $12.5 billion for modernisation, including funds for telecommunications, radar replacement and new en route centres. Secretary Duffy said an additional $19 billion to $20 billion would be needed.
• Integrator: on 4 December 2025 the DOT and FAA named Peraton to lead the programme as single systems integrator.
• Timing: the Department of Transportation is aiming for around 2028 for the new system, an ambitious target for a project of this size.

You can read more about how the system works in our guide to air traffic control and aviation safety. Suppliers of air traffic control systems, avionics and aviation software are in the directory.

What the modernisation money is for

The $12.5 billion provided by Congress was split across several areas, according to reporting on the programme:

• $4.75 billion for telecommunications, to replace older links between facilities.
• $3 billion to replace radar systems.
• $1.9 billion to build new air route traffic control centres.
• $1 billion for terminal radar approach control facilities.
• Smaller amounts for controller training, tower upgrades, remote towers and research.

Much of the existing system relies on equipment that is decades old, and controllers sometimes work with technology that is slow to update. Replacing it is difficult because the system must run every minute of every day while the changes are made.

The staffing question

New technology does not solve a shortage of controllers. The FAA has said it needs more trained controllers, and training takes years because controllers must qualify facility by facility. That is why money for training sits beside money for radar and communications in the funding package.

Frequently asked questions

Who was on the aircraft?

64 people were on the CRJ700 and 3 soldiers on the Black Hawk. All 67 died.

What did the NTSB say caused it?

It found multiple system failures, led by the placement of the helicopter route and a lack of risk controls, rather than a single mistake.

How much is being spent on new air traffic control?

Congress has provided $12.5 billion so far, and the Transportation Secretary has asked for roughly $19 billion to $20 billion more.