A major established from the Federal Aviation Administration testified on Wednesday that a line run by the Pentagon that connects the Pentagon to air traffic controllers at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., hasn’t been operating since March of 2022.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas ) questioned Federal Aviation Administration Deputy Chief Operating Officer Franklin McIntosh,” Is it true that the direct line between the Pentagon, air traffic control, and the DCA tower has been inoperative since March 2022?” during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday. McIntosh responded,” Yes, sir, that is correct.”
When asked who runs the Pentagon’s line and how do air traffic controllers at the Ronald Reagan Reagan National Airport respond, McIntosh replied,” I believe the DOD maintains that hotline, but I think the next question would be,” Why were we not aware of it and insist upon it being fixed”?
According to The Daily Caller, Federal Aviation Administration officers discovered the problem with the communication line after two business aircraft had to halt flights on May 2 due to an Army Black Hawk that was flying close to the Pentagon.
Following the incident, the U.S. Army issued a temporary suspension for plane flights close to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to The Daily Caller. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting inquiries in response to the May 2 event, according to the store.
According to CNN, McIntosh testified on Wednesday that defense airlines to the Pentagon will be suspended until the line is restored. Prior to the government’s decision to temporarily suspend planes to the Pentagon, the Federal Aviation Administration, according to CNN, had considered revoking its flight deal with the U.S. war.
According to McIntosh,” We were ready to deploy any opportunity that we felt was necessary to provide better activities and health measures from the DOD,” he told the Senate commission.
McIntosh made a point about fixing the conversation line between the Pentagon and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport during his evidence on Wednesday in front of the Senate Commerce Committee. According to McIntosh,” We’re insisting that column be fixed before we resume any operations outside of the Pentagon.”
According to McIntosh, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an United Airlines plane in midair in January, killing 67 individuals, near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
