FAA implements changes to LA-area airport to lower risk of midair collisions

The Federal Aviation Administration implemented changes at Van Nuys Airport in an effort to improve safety following last year's deadly midair collision in D.C.

The FAA said that in February 2025, it used AI tools to identify areas similar to the airspace where an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk collided, killing 67 people.

"One of our primary focus areas was Van Nuys Airport and nearby Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area," the FAA wrote in a statement.

The analysis prompted the FAA to temporarily lower Van Nuys' traffic pattern by 200 feet to "reduce conflicts with aircraft landing at Burbank."

Administrators said, based on their preliminary findings, the change reduced the number of Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alerts for aircraft arriving at Burbank, leading the FAA to permanently lower Van Nuys' traffic pattern. 

TCAS is a program designed to prevent midair collisions.

Following the deadly midair collision in D.C., the FAA has been scrutinized by the National Transportation Safety Board. In her opening remarks during Tuesday's meeting, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said it was a series of "deep, underlying systemic failures" that "aligned to create the conditions that led to the crash."

"I keep hearing about other areas in the airspace where they're concerned," Homendy later said. "Burbank is one where commercial airlines have called me to say the next mid-air is going to be at Burbank, and nobody at the FAA is paying attention to us. So whether it is involving helicopters or not, people are raising red flags, and why aren't people listening? The FAA has to ensure safety."