Reagan-Pentagon Hotline Down Since 2022, FAA Reports

A critical hotline between the Pentagon and the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been out of service since March 2022, a fact recently disclosed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after multiple safety incidents, including a deadly collision in January and a near-miss in May.

“We were not aware, but we became aware after that event, and now that we became aware of that event we're insisting upon that line to be fixed before we resume any operations out of the Pentagon,” said Franklin McIntosh, FAA Deputy Chief Operating Officer, during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing.

McIntosh confirmed that the FAA only became aware of the outage after a May 1 incident involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter that entered the airspace near the Pentagon, causing two commercial flights to abort landings at Reagan.

The hotline, designed as a “dedicated, direct access line,” was established to ensure swift coordination between the Pentagon and airport controllers. The outage reportedly stems from construction work at the Pentagon involving a new tower. In its absence, communication has relied on standard landlines. Maintenance of the hotline falls under the Department of Defense (DoD), not the FAA.

The outage’s safety implications were tragically highlighted on Jan. 29, when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet near the airport, resulting in 67 fatalities—the deadliest US airline incident in over a decade. In response, the 12th Aviation Brigade suspended all training flights in the National Capital Region while investigations continue.

“We are deeply concerned about these incidents and are exploring every available option to improve safety and accountability,” McIntosh stated, adding that the FAA will not allow Pentagon-based helicopter flights to resume until the hotline is fully operational.

Following the May incident, the Army again paused training flights to review the helicopter’s flight path. The FAA has also considered suspending an agreement with the Army that allows military helicopters to operate in Washington, D.C., airspace without pre-clearance—a measure under review even before the recent near-miss.

During the hearing, Senator Ted Cruz criticized FAA officials for their delayed awareness of the hotline’s failure. Asked about the restoration timeline, McIntosh said he expects the Department of Defense to expedite repairs to resume safe operations.