Vertical Aviation International (VAI) applauds the passage of the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026 by the US House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, marking a step toward implementing safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) following the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA).

The bipartisan bill responds directly to the NTSB’s final accident report and advances a comprehensive framework aimed at strengthening safety across the US National Airspace System (NAS). The ALERT Act addresses the full range of safety recommendations identified during the investigation and seeks systemwide improvements to reduce collision risk and improve operational coordination.

Key safety issues addressed in the legislation include:

• Establishing requirements for equipping collision-mitigation, -avoidance, and -alerting technologies and systems for civil fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft
• Improving helicopter route design, guidance, and separation
• Reducing loss-of-separation incidents
• Addressing deficiencies in FAA safety culture
• Enhancing air traffic control training and procedures, particularly during high-traffic periods
• Strengthening airspace safety around KDCA
• Repealing section 373(a) of the most recent National Defense Authorization Act, among other provisions.

VAI thanks House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.-06) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.-02) for their leadership in strengthening safety in the NAS.

VAI looks forward to continued engagement with the US House and the US Senate as the legislation advances toward enactment and implementation.