• Two commercial flights at Reagan National Airport aborted landings due to a nearby Army helicopter.
• The incident raises safety concerns following a recent deadly mid-air collision involving a military aircraft.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the situation as "unacceptable" and criticized the Army's route decisions.

On Thursday afternoon, two commercial flights, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, were instructed by air traffic control to abort their landings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport due to the presence of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that had allegedly taken an improper route. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that air traffic controllers directed the planes to perform go-arounds at around 2:30 p.m. to maintain safety, according to Reuters and The New York Times.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed outrage at the incident, stating that it was "unacceptable" for the Army to disregard established helicopter flight restrictions around DCA. Following a mid-air collision in January that killed 67 people, the FAA had imposed strict limitations on helicopter operations in the area. Duffy emphasized, "Safety must ALWAYS come first... No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians," reported South China Morning Post and HuffPost.

Further investigation revealed that the helicopter in question had deviated from its intended flight path and instead "took a scenic route" around the Pentagon. This decision led to the critical go-around manoeuvres for the commercial flights, heightening safety concerns amidst ongoing investigations by both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), according to NPR and India Times.

Lawmakers, including Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, have voiced serious concerns over repeated incidents involving military helicopters operating in close proximity to civilian air traffic. Cantwell stated it was "far past time" for the Department of Defense to ensure safer airspace management in light of these ongoing risks. The recent go-arounds highlight the critical need for stringent adherence to aviation safety protocols, as noted in statements from concerned senators and visuals shared across various media platforms, including HuffPost and The New York Times.