Press Releases

This week, the bipartisan leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) introduced H.R. 7613, the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026, the comprehensive legislative response to the various aviation safety issues raised by the tragic 2025 midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

H.R. 7613 was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 20^th by T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), T&I Commttee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), HASC Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), and HASC Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA). The ALERT Act addresses all 50 safety related recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which concluded its thorough investigation and issued its final report on February 17, 2026.

Numerous stakeholder groups throughout the aviation community are speaking out in support of the ALERT Act, including:

Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association: “AMFA applauds the bipartisan leadership in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the House Armed Services Committee for advancing the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026. This legislation strengthens safety, improves transparency, and reinforces the shared commitment to protecting the flying public and the professionals who maintain our nation’s aircraft. We appreciate the collaborative effort that brought this bill forward and look forward to continuing our work together to support policies that enhance aviation safety and operational integrity.”

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association: “The aviation industry has been unified in the aftermath of the tragic accident at DCA last year in making every effort with our government partners to bring forward solutions to improve aviation safety. The ALERT Act addresses the NTSB's recommendations from its recently released report. AOPA commends Committee leaders and remains committed to the goals of making the system safer for all users. That includes ensuring a pilot’s privacy remains protected and collision avoidance technology, ADS-B, is used for its intended safety purpose and not for economic gain. We look forward to the ALERT Act's consideration and working with all Members to promote policies that solidify the US aviation system as the global gold standard.”

Airlines for America: ““A4A appreciates the strong leadership shown by Representatives Graves, Larsen, Rogers and Smith in crafting a comprehensive response to the NTSB’s recommendations from its final report on the DCA tragedy. The ALERT Act takes a holistic approach in making safety improvements across our aviation system and recognizes the need to act with urgency as the use of airspace continues to grow and becomes more complex. A4A will continue to work with all stakeholders toward our shared responsibility of keeping aviation the safest mode of transportation in the world.”

Allegiant Travel Company: “The ALERT Act addresses all 50 NTSB recommendations following the 2025 DCA midair collision. It tackles critical systemic issues, including air traffic control training, interagency data sharing with the Department of War, and revised helicopter routing.” (read the full statement here)

Allied Pilots Association: “On behalf of the 16,000 pilots of American Airlines, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) strongly applauds the introduction of the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026. This legislation represents a critical step forward in ensuring our National Airspace System remains the safest and most efficient in the world…. By ensuring that input from all pilot labor groups is integrated into the final language, the House has demonstrated its understanding that those on the front lines of aviation are best positioned to identify and address emerging safety risks.” (read the full statement here)

Association of Value Airlines: “The Association of Value Airlines strongly supports the ALERT Act and thanks T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen for their bipartisan proposal to improve aviation safety. The ALERT Act creates a flexible, scalable approach to collision avoidance technology. We urge the House to act swiftly to pass this critical bill.”

Cargo Airline Association: “CAA appreciates the leadership Representatives Graves, Larsen, Rogers, and Smith have demonstrated in developing the bipartisan ALERT Act. This legislation reflects a thoughtful, comprehensive response to all 50 of the NTSB’s recommendations and incorporates meaningful reforms to further strengthen aviation safety across the National Airspace (NAS). At a time when the NAS is becoming more complex and operational demands continue to evolve, it is essential that safety policy be grounded in data, operational expertise, and collaboration. CAA and its members stand ready to work with Congress and industry partners to advance aviation safety legislation without delay.”

Experimental Aircraft Association: “The Act provides a comprehensive and targeted approach to addressing the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendations resulting from the tragic events of January 29, 2025, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The provisions in the ALERT Act direct the FAA to leverage technology, industry expertise, and lessons learned to improve safety while allowing flexibility and considering the needs of the various users of the National Airspace System.” (read the full statement here)

National Air Carrier Association: “The National Air Carrier Association (NACA) supports House action advancing the bipartisan ALERT Act and views the proposal as a pragmatic step toward reducing midair collision risk across the National Airspace System…. A key strength of the measure is its reliance on a flexible, outcomes-based framework rather than prescriptive technology mandates.”

National Air Transportation Association: “On behalf of the membership of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), I write to express strong support for the bipartisan Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act…. The Committee’s response to last year’s tragic midair collision of Flight 5342 with an Army helicopter near Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA) builds on this precedent, by working jointly with bipartisan leaders of the House Armed Services Committee on legislation that addresses all 50 safety recommendations recently released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).” (read the full statement here)

National Business Aviation Association: “This comprehensive legislation addresses the 50 safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which were included in the Board’s final report published earlier this week, on February 17, 2026. We support the ALERT Act’s historic advances in safety including requiring performance-based technology improvements in the cockpit to enhance alerting and situational awareness for pilots, updates to air traffic control processes and procedures, better coordination between the military and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and a review of the FAA’s safety culture.” (read the full statement here)

NetJets: “NetJets supports the bipartisan ALERT Act and applauds the committee for its thoughtful and deliberative response to the tragic DCA crash.  We appreciate Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen working in a collaborative manner to introduce legislation grounded in safety data and operational realities while meaningfully incorporating the entirety of NTSB’s final recommendations.  The ALERT Act allows FAA the authority to work together with industry stakeholders and safety experts to incorporate the most advanced collision avoidance technologies into the aviation system to help prevent future tragedies.  Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen continue to demonstrate a serious commitment to advancing aviation safety.”

Regional Airline Association: “The bill’s performance-based framework is central to achieving its meaningful safety improvements. The Alert Act enables flexible solutions to be deployed broadly, improving situational awareness in the near term while supporting the continued development and certification of more integrated systems. The bill also emphasizes human factors, ensuring new technologies support a pilot’s normal scan and incorporate effective alerting to deliver meaningful, real-world benefits on the flight deck.” (read the full statement here)

Reliable Robotics: “Reliable Robotics is proud to provide our support for this legislation which will significantly enhance United States aviation safety. The detailed manner in which this bill responds to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) findings from the tragic 2025 midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is noteworthy, and it deserves full consideration by the House and Senate.” (read the full statement here)

Southwest Airlines Pilots Association: “The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) commends the House of Representatives for its decisive action to ensure the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board’s final report on the tragic accident at Reagan National Airport are fully implemented. This comprehensive legislation — led by Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen, in partnership with Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith — represents a meaningful and bipartisan commitment to strengthening aviation safety, particularly at our nation’s busiest and most complex airports.” (read the full statement here)

Vertical Aviation International: “We commend the Committee for advancing a bill that addresses all 50 safety-related recommendations identified by the NTSB and considers each of the Board’s findings of probable cause. By responding to every recommendation, the ALERT Act provides a thorough and holistic framework for meaningful, system-wide improvements across the National Airspace System.” (read the full statement here)