FAA Says it Fixed Vegas Airport Issues that Increased Risk of Mid-Air Plane/Helicopter Collisions

Posted on: April 22, 2025, 06:52h. 

Last updated on: April 23, 2025, 09:55h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.
  • The FAA said it corrected “several immediate” safety issues at Harry Reid International Airport three weeks ago
  • The issues increased the likelihood of mid-air collisions between passenger planes and tourist helicopters, according to the agency
  • The FAA said their fixes resulted in a 30% reduction in collision avoidance alerts

The FAA announced Tuesday that it had fixed “several immediate issues” at the busy Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The issues increased the likelihood of mid-air collisions between passenger planes and helicopters, according to a report by Bloomberg.

A Southwest airplane lands at Harry Reid International Airport in 2022. (Image: Shutterstock)

The issues were identified in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle Flight 5342 with an Army Black Hawk at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, which killed 78 people.

The tragedy resulted in a nationwide review of US airports with heavy helicopter traffic. Harry Reid was singled out during the review as maintaining “a routine lack of compliance” with rules for keeping the aircraft separate.

The FAA’s fixes included tightening controls that ensure helicopters don’t get too close to departing and arriving flights. The FAA also said it now requires Las Vegas air traffic controllers to issue more traffic advisories between airplanes and returning tourist helicopters.

The FAA said its changes, implemented three weeks ago, resulted in a 30% reduction in collision avoidance alerts.

We’re planning additional actions around Las Vegas, and as we identify issues around other airports, we’ll take any immediate action necessary in those locations too,” the agency said in a statement to Bloomberg.

Between October 2021 and December 2024, commercial planes came “dangerously close” to helicopters more than 15K times at Reagan National, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Based on that and other findings, the FAA adopted permanent restrictions on some helicopter activity near that airport.