The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly rejected a bill to modernize airspace oversight. This decision came after the Department of Defense's strong opposition, which warned of a threat to national security. The vote is a severe blow to the families of the victims of the DCA airport crash, who have been calling for months for strict technical requirements for all military and civilian aircraft.

Aviation Reform Rejection

The House of Representatives rejected the bill after a Pentagon campaign against new technical requirements for aircraft.

Defense Department Opposition

Military officials argued that mandatory position transmitters would threaten the security of secret military operations.

Split Among Republicans

A clash occurred within the party between supporters of modernization and proponents of military autonomy.

Victims' Families' Protests

Relatives of those who died in the DCA airport crash accuse politicians of ignoring real danger.

The aviation safety bill, a direct response to the tragic collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, failed in the lower house of the U.S. Congress. A key point of contention was the requirement to equip all military aircraft with advanced ADS-B transmitters. The Pentagon waged an intense campaign against these regulations, arguing that forced real-time disclosure of fighter jet positions would endanger secret operations and make it easier for foreign intelligence to monitor military movements. American airspace has been an arena of growing conflict of interest between civilian carriers and military aviation for decades. Since the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1958, the military has maintained broad autonomy in operating in corridors shared with passenger jets, which regularly becomes the subject of debate after aviation incidents.Within the Republican Party, a rare split occurred. While some conservatives supported the military's position, others joined Democrats, believing that passenger safety must outweigh military privileges. The situation was exacerbated by reports that a military aircraft was responsible for last year's accident, prompting commentators to question the Pentagon's moral legitimacy to block changes. The victims' families expressed deep disappointment, calling the vote result a victory of bureaucracy over human life. 225 — votes against led to the bill's rejection Transportation experts are sounding the alarm, pointing out that without systemic changes, the risk of a repeat disaster in the congested airspace over Washington remains high. The rejected legislation was not only meant to modernize equipment but also introduce new communication procedures between civilian towers and air force command. Currently, both spheres operate on systems that are not always fully compatible. With parliamentary elections approaching, the chances of the bill quickly returning for debate are close to zero, meaning the current legal status will remain in place for years to come. „The military caused the crash. Now it's trying to kill key fixes.” — DCA Victims' Families