The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has permanently restricted non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan National Airport following a deadly mid-air collision with an American Airlines regional jet in January.
The change is an attempt to improve safety around the airport, which is just outside of the nation’s capital in Washington DC.
In January, a US Army Black Hawk helicopter with a crew of three collided with an American Airlines jet carrying 64 people. Both aircraft crashed near the airport. All 67 aboard were killed.
The FAA’s announcement followed the release of a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigating the crash.