Statement by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association on DCA and America’s ATC System

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) joins all Americans in grieving for those who lost their lives in last night’s tragedy at Washington National Airport (DCA), and in praying for the families of those who were lost. NATCA continues to work with all federal agencies regarding last night’s accident. As we await more information from the ongoing investigations, our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, and military members and their families, as well as the first responders who were on scene. 

NATCA stands with the highly trained, highly skilled air traffic controller workforce and those who perform safety-critical work 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, 365 days-a-year and keeps the United States as the gold standard for aviation safety. 

NATCA has been and remains supportive of taking all possible steps to ensure America has the best and safest air traffic control system in the world. We will be a ready partner with the administration and Congress in any effort to further modernize the ATC system to maximize safety and protect lives.