Munich airport said on Saturday it was gradually resuming flights from 7 a.m. (0500 GMT), with delays expected through the day, hours after both runways were closed for the second time in less than 24 hours due to a drone sighting.
The airport advised travelers to check with their airlines as it prepared for the restart, two hours later than originally scheduled, after the Friday evening closure.
Dozens of flights had been diverted or cancelled, stranding some 6,500 passengers, authorities said.
European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings that some authorities have blamed on Russia. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.
Authorities have yet to attribute Thursday&#8217;s or Friday&#8217;s drone sightings to a specific actor.
&#8220;German air traffic control restricted flight operations at Munich Airport as a precautionary measure due to unconfirmed drone sightings and suspended them until further notice,&#8221; a statement on the airport website read.
In a later update, the airport said 23 flights were diverted, 12 flights to Munich and 48 departures cancelled or postponed.
&#8220;As on the previous night, the airport and airlines took care of the passengers,&#8221; it added. &#8220;Camp beds, blankets, drinks and snacks were handed out.&#8221;
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The previous evening, the captain on a London-bound aircraft whose departure was cancelled told passengers that runways had been closed &#8220;because of drone sightings near the take-off and landing runways&#8221; and that police helicopters were aloft.
The airport website showed due arrivals had been diverted starting at 8:35 p.m. (1835 GMT).
Munich airport was closed for several hours late on Thursday and in the small hours after unconfirmed drone sightings that disrupted dozens of flights.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt promised earlier on Friday to bring forward legislation making it easier for the police to ask the military to shoot drones down.
(Reporting by Karin Strohecker and Mrinmay Dey, additional reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Writing by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Chris Reese, Rosalba O&#8217;Brien and William Mallard)

Drone

German Airport Had To Shut Down After Drone Activity Interrupted Flights, Raising Russia Concerns

Air Travel

Drones

General

Germany

Munich

Russia

World

U.S. no-frills pioneer Spirit Airlines filed for fresh chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday, as dwindling cash and mounting losses derailed its turnaround efforts since emerging from a previous Chapter 11 reorganization in March.
The carrier, recognizable by its bright yellow jets, has struggled to steady operations since emerging from its first bankruptcy in March.
Flights, ticket sales, reservations and operations will continue, the airline said on Friday.
Spirit had been attempting to rebrand as a more premium airline to keep pace with post-pandemic travel trends that have challenged the viability of the ultra-low-cost model.
But Spirit&#8217;s recovery was further hit by uncertainty from tariffs and budget cuts, which have cooled consumer spending and driven down domestic airfares.
The airline was forced to raise going-concern doubts earlier this month.
&#8220;Since emerging from our previous restructuring, which was targeted exclusively on reducing Spirit&#8217;s funded debt and raising equity capital, it has become clear that there is much more work to be done and many more tools are available to best position Spirit for the future,&#8221; said CEO Dave Davis.
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The Florida-based airline first sought bankruptcy protection last November after years of losses, failed merger bids and mounting debt, becoming the first major U.S. carrier to do so since 2011.
It posted a $1.2 billion net loss last year, with its troubles compounded by the collapse of a $3.8 billion merger with JetBlue Airways and RTX&#8217;s Pratt &amp; Whitney engine issues that forced it to ground many of its Airbus jets.
Spirit began in 1964 as a long-haul trucking company before shifting to aviation in the 1980s, initially flying leisure packages under the name Charter One Airlines.
It rebranded as Spirit in 1992 and built its reputation as a discount carrier for budget-conscious travelers willing to skip extras like checked bags and seat assignments.
But the pandemic upended that model, as demand shifted toward more comfortable, experience-driven travel, leaving ultra-low-cost carriers struggling to adapt.
(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Maju Samuel)

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines Files For Bankruptcy — Again

bankruptcy

Business

Economy

U.S.

Anyone who is familiar with my opinion pieces knows how much I love this country. I proudly served in the U.S. Navy and would do anything for our nation. 
Thanks to a combination of work and vacation, I recently found myself traveling outside of the United States for seven of the past eight weeks. These trips have only served to reinforce why I believe America is the greatest country in the history of the world and will continue to reign over the rest of the world for the foreseeable future.
First of all, we have the best toilet paper in the history of mankind. I don’t know what kind of sadists designed the toilet paper in places like China, Germany, or France, but they did so with pain and suffering in mind. Who thought that sandpaper was a good idea for cleaning down there? When I am master of the universe, Charmin Ultra Soft or Quilted Northern Ultra Plush will be required in every bathroom both far and wide.
And while we are in the bathroom, what is the deal with European showers and the half glass shower curtain? All that does is focus the water into a specific spot on the floor, creating puddles and leaks. Not good.
Next, let’s discuss air conditioning. In Europe, if there is air conditioning, it is just there to trick you into thinking that, eventually, your hotel room will cool off. Nope. You can try to adjust the temperature and the fan speed, but it is only there for aesthetic value. Even China understands air conditioning. Let’s go, European Union — it’s cool to be cool.
Speaking of cooling things down, why can’t I get a drink with the proper amount of ice in it anywhere in the world, other than the United States? Ask a waiter in Paris, Hanoi, or Mexico City for a drink with ice, and you will get a hot drink with one ice cube, which is 90% melted before it reaches you. Please bring me a cold drink, with ice, with a side of ice.
Lastly, I cannot believe how long it takes to check into and out of international hotels. I understand they need to make a copy of my passport, but last I checked, that takes like, oh, I don’t know, ten seconds, and that is if you don’t know what you are doing. Why the ten-to-fifteen-minute marathon to check in? Checking out? Forget about it. Why do you need my credit card again, if you ran it just two days ago? Why can’t I simply leave like I do in the States, and get my bill emailed to me the same day?
Now, before you accuse me of being an American apologist, there are a number of things we would do well to steal from our friends overseas.
First, I say we implement the American Autobahn. We need to do some work first, because it wouldn’t work today. Too many Americans pass on the right-hand side, drive slowly in the left lane, with the blinker on, or simply do not pay attention. Let’s implement punitive fines on these people so they can’t drive any longer and those of us who can follow the rules can tool along at 125 miles per hour.
Next, let’s end tipping. I don’t have to tip in Asia, South America, Africa, or Europe. Why do I have to give a neck-tattooed, lip-pierced, failed gender studies major 25% of my dinner bill just for doing his job? Heck, in Chicago, I am even asked by the self-check-out machine at my local grocery store if I want to leave a tip. No more tipping (and we can still support no tax on tips).
Finally, perhaps it is time for hotels in the United States to embrace the customs of European, South American, and Asian hotel lounges – provide free dinner and drinks for elite travelers. Why is it that in Shanghai, I can drink free Johnny Walker Black while eating potstickers and dumplings, but in the States, a glass of wine in the lounge costs me $17.00?
America, as we prepare for our 250th birthday in 2026, we have a lot of work to do. But we are still the best damn country on the planet – no one else is even close.
* * *
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and The Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Busy airport terminal at sunset

Seven Weeks Abroad Made Me Love America Even More

Europe

Hotel

Humor

Opinion

United States

In a TikTok <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14889717/fight-breaks-plane-female-lawyer-skips-line.html">video</a> posted on Tuesday, an argument erupted among airplane passengers when a woman attempted to skip ahead in the exit line.
The woman, who is a lawyer, first said “shut your mouth” to a passenger after he complained that she hadn&#8217;t waited her turn. 
“You’re all whining for no reason. Just get up when you want to — just deal with it, people, my God,” she drawled, rolling her eyes as other passengers jumped in to condemn her. 
“You’re just a Karen and that’s just the way it is,” said one man before beginning to chant: “Karen! Karen!” 
“You guys are so funny!” the woman mocked. “You’re the Karens about it because you’re the ones — you’re the ones who are making noise.”
Eventually, a baby began crying in the background as the argument grew more heated.
“Why don’t you all shut up? It’s not affecting any of you!” the woman retorted over disgruntled voices. 
She soon noticed the camera recording her, then sarcastically asked the person behind it if he had her permission to record, falling into a common stereotype of so-called “Karen” behavior. 
“It’s public,” one man answered calmly.
“Shut the f**k up!” the woman exclaimed. 
After the passengers protested her use of the “f-bomb,” she pointed to a man behind her and said, “given your accent I can tell you’ve said the f-bomb.” 
A woman in a pink jacket then stepped in.
“We’re not doing that,” she declared. “You can be a jerk … you’re not going to insult someone because of an accent.” 

A boy beside her grinned as though he were witnessing something exotic and accused the attorney of being a “racist.”
“Do you even know what the word racist means?” she asked. “You’re white. Maybe it’s xenophobic if you’re talking about accents.” 
The baby in the background continued to cry, and the video ended when the woman told another passenger she would meet him with her bar card after they got off the plane.
The now-viral TikTok had racked up nearly 15,000 likes by Wednesday.

rear view of a group of people seated in the seats inside an airplane traveling by plane.

‘Karen’ Lawyer Tries To Push Her Way Off Plane First, Other Passengers Object

Airplane

Karen

On April 28, air traffic controllers lost all radar and radio contact with planes headed into one of the nation’s largest airports.
For nearly 90 seconds, air traffic controllers couldn’t see, hear, or communicate with flights inbound to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/air-traffic-controllers-newark-airport-delays.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newark Liberty International Airport</a> — a horrifying blackout that underscores the urgent need for a complete overhaul of our air traffic control system.
The culprits were a fried copper wire transmitter and a failed backup communications line — symptoms of an antiquated air traffic control infrastructure that faces mounting pressure with every passing day.
Although flight remains the safest form of commercial travel, we shouldn’t tempt fate. It’s foolish and negligent to continue standard operating procedures amid the aviation sector’s rapid deterioration.
At present, <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108162" target="_blank" rel="noopener">76%</a> of all functioning air traffic control systems are “unsustainable” or “potentially unsustainable.” Moreover, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/business/air-traffic-controllers-understaffed.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90% of towers nationwide</a> are significantly understaffed amid glaring failures in recruitment and training.
But these visible failures signal a deeper problem with American aviation: consistent obstruction of necessary investments in America’s aviation infrastructure.
Congress has repeatedly failed to allocate enough funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Even when it does provide funding, it is often distributed by agencies in an inefficient manner due to burdensome regulatory processes. At times, these bureaucratic hurdles block funding altogether.
With all the wasteful spending and other non-essential things American taxpayers fund, upgrading the nation&#8217;s air traffic control system is, correctly, a top priority for President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
But if we expect to keep our airways safe and secure, and ensure that America has the best air traffic control system in the world, it also needs to be a top priority for Congress.
To make matters worse, the FAA is presently without clear, stable leadership. Nearly two months after the president’s nomination of Bryan Bedford to lead the FAA, Congress has yet to schedule his confirmation hearing. Bedford’s nomination has received overwhelming support from airline industry leaders, and his swift confirmation would expedite the implementation of necessary reforms in American aviation.
Recently, Secretary Duffy reiterated the urgency of enacting such reforms, unveiling a comprehensive plan to realize Trump’s vision to restore safety and excellence to the industry. The plan includes immediate emergency funding for the most critical system updates, multi-year budgets so the FAA can prioritize innovation, and supercharging the air traffic controller training and hiring pipeline.
Cooperation from enforcement and budgeting agencies and their leaders is critical for implementing this ambitious and necessary plan and ensuring that funding is directed toward the most acute areas of concern. Once Congress moves to provide funding, swift action and coordination from departments like the Office of Management and Budget, where I once served, is paramount to seamless air travel and this plan’s success.
The funding approval and regulatory enforcement processes must be expedited so that funds can easily and efficiently reach air traffic control towers, operators, and training centers. We cannot allow these urgent reforms to be derailed by bureaucratic backlogs, red tape, and delays in leadership appointments.
Frugality to the extreme can quickly become recklessness — especially when it means gambling with the lives of pilots and passengers. There is no badge of honor for continuing to push off essential upgrades to ensure safety in the skies. We must ensure that the funding Congress allocates is distributed in a rational, efficient manner.
Once implemented, Secretary Duffy’s proposals will radically overhaul our air traffic control infrastructure by building six new control towers, replacing antiquated radars and communications systems — including WWII-era radar monitoring platforms and 1980s technologies like floppy disks — with updated wireless and satellite technologies, and streamlining hardware and software systems for a common national platform.
The American people have entrusted their safety to the government. President Trump and Secretary Duffy have answered that call with a plan of action. Once congressional funding is secured, it will be our agency leaders’ duty to steward taxpayer dollars toward this end in an efficient and responsible manner.
Overhauling our air traffic control systems will be a joint effort between Congress, the president, and our executive agencies. Together, their regulatory and enforcement work must be a catalyst, not a speed bump, in making the president’s vision a reality.
Once a paragon of innovation and excellence, America’s air traffic system has descended into atrophy. But this administration finally has a chance to enact the change we so desperately need — a chance to restore American ingenuity and maintain safety in flight in perpetuity.
Joe Grogan served as Assistant to President Donald Trump for Domestic Policy from 2019-2020 and Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2017-2019.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-AVIATION-FAA-TRAVEL

It’s Time For Congress To Stop Gambling With Airline Safety

Airline Crash

Congress

Donald Trump

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Sean Duffy

On Sunday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confronted the question of whether Elon Musk tried to fire air traffic controllers.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/trump-musk-doge-power.html?campaign_id=190&amp;emc=edit_ufn_20250307&amp;instance_id=149417&amp;nl=from-the-times&amp;regi_id=78841373&amp;segment_id=192873&amp;user_id=2c0c856b2ce44b95592cc8015e73caee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> back in March that there was a clash in which Duffy vented about staffers from Musk&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort trying to lay off air traffic controllers at a time when the Transportation Department was dealing with multiple plane crashes. Musk reportedly denied the claim.
&#8220;Did Elon Musk ask you to cut air traffic controllers directly?&#8221; NBC&#8217;s Kristen Welker asked Duffy during a &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/transportation-sec-duffy-says-elon-musk-never-asked-him-to-cut-air-traffic-controllers-239336517927" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>.
&#8220;So, listen, we were having a conversation about, &#8216;Who do we preserve?&#8217; And, again, I wanted in those probationary employees to preserve air traffic controllers,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;We went back and forth, and Elon agreed, the president agreed. Of course you want to keep air traffic controllers. We&#8217;re trying to hire more of them.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;But I think the key is, &#8216;Can your government be more efficient?&#8217; We&#8217;ve had a massive expansion of government. You can actually be more efficient and still accomplish the mission of safety, which is what I think we can do. And actually, we are doing that.&#8221;
Welker pressed Duffy again.
&#8220;Did Elon Musk, though, initially ask you to cut air traffic controllers?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;No,&#8221; Duffy said.
&#8220;And did you dispute that?&#8221; Welker asked.
&#8220;No,&#8221; Duffy replied.
&#8220;Did you have a disagreement with him about that?&#8221; Welker followed up.
&#8220;So, Elon and I get along really well. He never called me and said, &#8216;Cut air traffic control.&#8217; He would never do that. This was a broader conversation about what positions are going to be preserved, right? So if we&#8217;re going to let probationary employees go, again, they’ve – they&#8217;re new employees. They just were hired on. Some might have been there for a month, some of them 10 months,&#8221; Duffy said.
&#8220;It was the new employees that we were going to let go,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Many of them have come back. But this is not the institutional knowledge of the FAA that&#8217;s being let go. Elon Musk understands the importance of the airspace and the need to have good controllers. Actually, [Musk&#8217;s] SpaceX launches through the airspace and the FAA. We want good controllers that know the airspace to navigate all the issues that come up.&#8221;

Transportation Secretary Clears Air On Whether Elon Tried To Fire Air Traffic Controllers

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Elon Musk

Executive

The pilot of the Black Hawk that crashed into a passenger jet in January, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft, failed to turn the military helicopter when advised to do so by her co-pilot, according to a new report.
On Sunday, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/business/dc-plane-crash-reagan-airport.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> new details on various &#8220;failures&#8221; underlying the mid-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a>, which happened over the Potomac River in the Washington, D.C., area.
In the final moments, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, who was piloting the Army Black Hawk Helicopter involved in the crash, was told by her co-pilot and instructor, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, that he believed air traffic control wanted them to turn left to avoid the American Airlines passenger jet as it was about to land at Reagan National Airport.
&#8220;Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet,&#8221; the New York Times report said. &#8220;She did not turn left.&#8221;
Investigators &#8220;might never know why&#8221; Lobach continued flying the helicopter straight, the report asserted.
&#8220;There is no indication that she was suffering from health issues at the time or that a medical event affected her during those final moments aboard the Black Hawk, according to friends and people familiar with the crash investigation, which included autopsies and performance log reviews,&#8221; it said.
As noted in the report, there were other issues underlying the deadly incident, including those related to the helicopter&#8217;s altitude and radio communications.
The air traffic controller had contacted the Black Hawk, asking if its crew had seen the passenger jet, according to the report. Eaves said they saw &#8220;traffic&#8221; and requested permission for &#8220;visual separation&#8221; that would allow the helicopter to maneuver around it.
But cockpit voice recordings &#8220;indicate&#8221; the controller&#8217;s command for the Black Hawk to &#8220;pass behind&#8221; the passenger jet may not have been heard by the military helicopter crew because of a &#8220;bleep-out&#8221; when they activated their microphone.
Two seconds after the controller&#8217;s cut-out instruction, Eaves again communicated that the helicopter had the jet in its sights and sought the go-ahead for visual separation. In their last communication, the controller replied, &#8220;Vis sep approved.&#8221; That&#8217;s when, with 15 seconds to go, Eaves told Lobach that he believed air traffic control had given them the go-ahead to turn.

Emergency Crews Respond To Aircraft Crash Near Reagan National Airport

New Revelation From Deadly Mid-Air Collision: Black Hawk Pilot Failed To Turn When Advised

Military

Washington D.C.

Earlier Friday, a small plane crashed in Boca Raton, Florida, killing the three people on board and injuring one man on the ground, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Cessna 310R that took off from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee International Airport and crashed less than 20 minutes into its flight.
All three people aboard the small plane were killed, while one man on the ground sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Michael LaSalle, assistant fire chief for Boca Fire Rescue, said the plane &#8220;had apparently some mechanical issues and went down here on Military Trail.&#8221; He added, &#8220;He hit a tree because of all the debris and the fire.&#8221;
A witness recalled seeing the aircraft flying uncommonly close to nearby buildings, appearing as though it might clip the roof of one structure before it veered off.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST IN: A plane has crashed in Boca Raton, Florida resulting in three de*ths, according to local news reports.
The plane was approaching Boca Raton Airport with “mechanical issues,” according to Boca News Now.
Fire rescue was reportedly on “alert” as the plane was nearing the… <a href="https://t.co/ST3oGmOsgv">pic.twitter.com/ST3oGmOsgv</a>
&mdash; Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1910712201117392996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I saw the plane, basically, turn, come back, and I heard it and saw it go over our building,&#8221; Dillon Smith <a href="https://www.wpbf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> to local West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF.
Smith describes momentarily losing sight of the plane, but said it then &#8220;came back — it was looking like maybe it was going toward the [nearby Boca Raton] airport.&#8221;
&#8220;I just saw it drop below the trees&#8221; and &#8220;heard a boom,&#8221; Smith said. The office windows shook violently and he saw a &#8220;fireball.”
Footage taken after the incident shows the plane’s wreckage situated on railroad tracks adjacent to a heavily traveled roadway.
The flames ignited by the crash were extinguished by first responders, who arrived on the scene to address both the blaze and assist the injured driver.
Authorities confirmed that the individual in the vehicle was transported to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are <a href="https://x.com/NTSB_Newsroom/status/1910762941743276075">reviewing</a> data from the flight and examining the wreckage to determine why the plane experienced difficulties shortly after taking off.
Local officials have also cordoned off a wide area around the crash site to collect further evidence and ensure there are no additional safety threats.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities,” Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer <a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-plane-crash-florida-boca-raton-84f2a5d7874a4daaeaafd92d2295b974?taid=67f94feb645bb30001316a84&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">said</a> in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue.”

US-NEWS-FLA-BOCA-RATON-PLANE-CRASH-FL

Small Plane Crashes On Busy Florida Road, Killing All Three On Board

Plane Crash

Six people were killed when a Bell 206 helicopter fell from the sky and crashed in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-helicopter-crash-e0368ea529659ee1513d92dcbf05a28d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<a href="https://x.com/xpertcommander/status/1910424640595312989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Video</a> posted on social media showed the chopper falling into the water after it appeared to lose its propellers mid-air. Emergency crews responded to the crash after the fire department said it received a call at 3:17 p.m. ET.
Witnesses told <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/10/us-news/helicopter-crashes-into-hudson-river-near-pier-40-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post</a> that the helicopter &#8220;split in half&#8221; in the air before crashing into the water near Pier 40 on West Hudson Street. There was one pilot and five passengers on board. The passengers were three children, a man, and a woman, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/helicopter-crash-hudson-river-live-updates/6220718/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC 4 New York</a>. Law enforcement sources told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/helicopter-crashes-hudson-river-new-york-city/story?id=120691975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a> that the passengers were family members from Spain. The helicopter departed from downtown New York City and was in the air for around 15 minutes before it crashed into the Hudson.
One witness told ABC News that she &#8220;heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.&#8221;
Another witness said he heard something that &#8220;sounded like a sonic boom&#8221; before seeing the &#8220;helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off.&#8221;
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Bell 206 was on its sixth flight of the day.
This article has been updated with additional information.

Helicopter crash

‘Split In Half’: Six People Killed In NYC Helicopter Crash

Death

New York City

Multiple members of Congress experienced a frightening incident on Thursday when their plane was clipped by another aircraft on the ground at Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area.
Lawmakers posted about their experience on X, stressing that people on board their flight were unharmed.
&#8220;Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok!&#8221; Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) <a href="https://x.com/RepLaLota/status/1910378262506729695" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok! (And ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/RepGraceMeng?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepGraceMeng</a>⁩ is handing out grapes!) <a href="https://t.co/bOo1JNXZDh">pic.twitter.com/bOo1JNXZDh</a>
&mdash; Congressman Nick LaLota (@RepLaLota) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaLota/status/1910378262506729695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He also noted that Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) was handing out grapes to people on board their plane.
&#8220;Glad my colleagues and I are okay! We are safely waiting on the tarmac, but we may need more snacks,&#8221; Grace <a href="https://x.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910386638825365895" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores [the] urgent need [to] restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe.&#8221;
Meng later posted a video showing what she said were crews fixing the wing on their plane.
&#8220;Fortunately, everyone is okay &amp; we&#8217;re heading back to New York soon. Thank you to all who reached out with your concerns!&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910398067389382860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> in the post.
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While waiting on the runway to fly out of DC today, another plane clipped the wing of the plane my colleagues and I were on. Fortunately, everyone is okay &amp; we&#39;re heading back to New York soon. Thank you to all who reached out with your concerns! <a href="https://t.co/MAbN2E4dcW">pic.twitter.com/MAbN2E4dcW</a>
&mdash; Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910398067389382860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In a <a href="https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1910392673782943921" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> announcing &#8220;preliminary&#8221; information, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the wingtip of American Airlines Flight 5490 &#8220;struck&#8221; American Airlines Flight 4522 on a taxiway at Reagan National Airport around 12:45 p.m. local time.
&#8220;Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900, was headed to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina. Flight 4522, an Embraer E175, was headed to JFK International Airport in New York. The FAA will investigate,&#8221; the agency added.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed that no one was hurt, noted that both planes returned to gates, and stated that airport operations were not impacted, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wingtip-plane-hits-taxiway-reagan-airport-faa/story?id=120687405&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>.
American Airlines said &#8220;the damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft&#8221; and the planes &#8220;have been taken out of service to be inspected,&#8221; per the same <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wingtip-plane-hits-taxiway-reagan-airport-faa/story?id=120687405&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news outlet</a>. &#8220;Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.&#8221;
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/RepGregoryMeeks/status/1910402204789260659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> that seven members of Congress, including himself, were on board the plane that was clipped, along with dozens of other passengers.
The scare comes a couple months after a mid-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a> between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk Helicopter near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people aboard the aircraft.

Jet Takes Off in Washington

Aircraft Carrying Members Of Congress Clipped By Another Plane

Transportation

U.S. House of Representatives

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sought on Monday to assuage concerns about air traffic safety after a number of high-profile plane incidents took place during the first month of the Trump administration as efforts to trim the &#8220;fat&#8221; are underway.
During an interview with Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer, Duffy acknowledged that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has fired hundreds of employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but he emphasized they were people who were recently hired.
&#8220;There&#8217;s fat everywhere in government, and in DOT as well. But let&#8217;s be clear. At FAA, we cut 352 people out of 46,000 people. That is 0.8% of the workforce. These were probationary workers. They were employed for less than a year at DOT,&#8221; Duffy said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDuffy</a>: &quot;We kept all of the critical safety positions. We actually hired more positions in critical safety, like air traffic controllers&#8230; for people to say that because we cut 352 people out of 46,000 — that that&#39;s a risk to safety — give me a break.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4QEeWgAj4G">pic.twitter.com/4QEeWgAj4G</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1894047345815232922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Duffy stressed that these employees who were let go were not veterans of the department needed to help keep transportation systems running smoothly, an assurance that followed recent air travel disasters such as the deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a> between a military helicopter and passenger jet in the Washington, D.C., area and mid-air plane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/midair-plane-collision-in-arizona-kills-at-least-two" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crash</a> in Arizona.
&#8220;These weren&#8217;t the old school, really ingrained employees of the DOT. And not only that, we kept all of the critical safety positions. And we actually hired more positions in critical safety, like air traffic controllers. We hired more inspectors for things like pipelines and for aircraft,&#8221; Duffy said.
&#8220;So, again, we have a safety mission, but for people to say that because we cut 352 people out of 46,000 — that that&#8217;s a risk to safety — give me a break. I mean that&#8217;s just plain politics as opposed to saying let&#8217;s cut the fat,&#8221; Duffy added.
Duffy also <a href="https://x.com/RedWave_Press/status/1894052581082570788" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talked</a> about the email first announced over the weekend by Elon Musk, who is overseeing President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senators-cant-escape-elon-musk-asking-what-they-got-done-last-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requesting</a> that federal employees provide five things they accomplished in the past week. While other agency leaders have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-officials-tell-employees-not-to-respond-to-musks-productivity-email?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instructed</a> their workers not to respond, the Transportation Secretary said he did not object.
&#8220;At DOT, I have no problem with employees here saying, &#8216;What did you do last week?&#8217; and if you can’t come up with five things that you did, maybe you shouldn’t be employed here,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;Again, this is an easy task. It happens in the private sector all the time. And so I wanted all our employees to actually engage and talk about what they did.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;I think this whole movement, Bill, is potentially going to make people go, &#8216;I&#8217;m going to come to work earlier.&#8217; &#8216;I&#8217;m going to stay later.&#8217; &#8216;I&#8217;m going to look at what Donald Trump wants me to accomplish because he won the election, and I&#8217;m going to fight and work to make sure I help him accomplish that because I&#8217;m a public servant.'&#8221;
Duffy even posted his own list of five things he accomplished last week in a post to X:
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Mr. President, 5 things I did last week:
1. Terminated NYC elitist, anti-worker congestion pricing. 2. Launched an investigation into the $16 billion in taxpayer dollars wasted on a high-speed rail project that, after 17 years, has yet to lay a single mile of track. 3. Saved $10…
&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1894031690256818515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

FAA Cut Probationary Workers, Added ‘Critical Safety’ Positions, Duffy Says

Air and Space

Department of Transportation

Politics

Delta Airlines is offering $30,000 payments to all passengers from Flight 4819 that crash-landed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
This one-time payment &#8220;has no strings attached and does not affect rights,&#8221; a Delta spokesperson said, per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/delta-offering-30000-passengers-plane-crash-landed-toronto-rcna192918">NBC News</a>. If all 76 passengers opted to take the offer, the airline would be forking over close to $2.3 million.
The flight had departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. There were no fatalities, but 21 passengers were hospitalized with injuries. As of Thursday morning, all of the injured passengers had been released from medical care, Delta shared on its <a href="https://news.delta.com/">website</a>. 
“The Delta and Endeavor families are grateful that all those injured Monday have been released from the hospital, and we extend our thanks to everyone who provided care to them over the past few days,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. “We will continue to connect one-on-one with customers, employees and loved ones as we move forward to make sure their needs are met with care.”
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined. Videos show snow present on the runway and there were wind gusts up to 40 mph. Several outlets noted that it appears the pilot did not perform a common “flare” maneuver, which involves pulling up the nose of the plane before touchdown to slow the aircraft and ensure a smoother landing.
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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is leading the crash investigation with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In an interview with “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday, Bastian said the plane’s crew “performed heroically.”
“The fact that they were able to evacuate that plane as expeditiously as they did under extreme conditions coupled with the fact that all 80 people walked off the plane with limited physical injuries was really a testament to the safety that’s embedded in the systems,” the airline exec noted.
The flight was operated by Endeavor Air, a regional carrier that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/airline-operating-delta-flight-that-flipped-bragged-about-man-free-flight-crews">promoted</a> its female-led crews and “unmanned” (or male-free) flights.

Delta

Delta Airlines Offers $30K Payments To Passengers On Plane That Crash-Landed

Delta Airlines Offers $30K Payments To Passengers On Plane That Crash Landed In Toronto

Delta Airlines

Toronto

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