Two separate aviation safety incidents in the United States have intensified scrutiny of air traffic control practices and communication failures, raising fresh concerns about systemic weaknesses in the country's airspace management.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has moved to dismiss two air traffic controllers who allegedly left their posts early on the night of 22 March, shortly before an Air Canada aircraft collided with a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Both pilots aboard the aircraft were killed. Investigators are examining whether adequate staffing was in place at the time of the collision, with sources indicating that traffic that evening was heavier than scheduled — a situation that would normally prompt supervisors to call in additional staff or ask colleagues to extend their shifts. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that the majority of controllers perform their jobs well, but stressed that misconduct could not be tolerated. "We will not tolerate this kind of abuse and are taking appropriate action to hold employees accountable," he said.
The practice of leaving just before the end of a shift — known in the industry as an "early shove" — is reportedly widespread and has been occurring at multiple facilities for years, according to controllers who spoke to Reuters. The FAA says it has tightened oversight of the practice, while the national air traffic controllers' union said it is discussing the allegations with FAA leadership.
In a separate but related episode, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the crew of Marine One, the military helicopter carrying President Donald Trump, failed to properly notify air traffic controllers before a flight on 4 August that brought the helicopter dangerously close to a departing passenger jet near Reagan Washington National Airport in the US capital. The NTSB said the crew made at least two attempts to give the required three-minute pre-departure notice but was hampered by communications problems; efforts to reach controllers through a backup military facility also failed. At one point, Marine One and the commercial aircraft were separated by just 1.5 kilometres laterally and 213 metres vertically — below the FAA's required minimums of 2.4 kilometres and 152 metres respectively. The FAA has since relocated an antenna and adjusted procedures, with subsequent checks showing no further communications issues.
Taken together, the incidents highlight persistent vulnerabilities across different layers of US air traffic management. The LaGuardia collision follows a series of high-profile aviation safety events in the country, including a deadly midair collision near Reagan Airport in January 2025, after which the FAA imposed permanent restrictions on helicopter operations in the Washington area. Aviation safety advocates warn that staffing shortfalls, communication gaps, and lax enforcement of protocols represent compounding risks that require urgent and systemic reform.