an airplane on the runway
Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
Brian Cohen·
News
··4 min read

Airlines Issue Travel Waivers For Washington National Airport: January 2025 Travel Alert

Meanwhile, the investigation continues.

Airlines issue travel waivers for Washington National Airport January 2025 due to an aircraft collision in the air that occurred at approximately 9:00 in the evening last night, Wednesday, January 29, 2025 between a Bombardier CRJ700ER regional jet airplane that was operated by Pacific Southwest Airlines — which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group — and a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter during the final approach of the airplane to Runway 33 at the airport.

Airlines Issue Travel Waivers For Washington National Airport: January 2025 Travel Alert

The aircraft was operating as American Airlines Flight 5342 and originated in Wichita in Kansas. None of the 60 passengers and four members of the flight crew aboard the airplane survived the impact of the crash — nor did the three people aboard the helicopter, which was operated by the United States Army. Both aircraft plunged into the cold waters of the Potomac River immediately after the collision.

The reasons why the incident occurred is still unclear at the time this article was written.

Additional information — as well as at least two videos by Robert Isom, who is the chief executive officer of American Airlines — has been posted at the official Internet web site of American Airlines:

American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700.

There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft.

Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.

If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.

American Airlines will continue to release information as it becomes available. Please monitor news.aa.com and American’s official X account @AmericanAir for the latest information.

The National Transportation Safety Board of the United States is currently conducting an investigation with the Federal Aviation Administration. The following video from the government agency is a briefing of the incident.

Meanwhile, a ground stop and delay program is expected to occur at the airport after noon Eastern Standard Time tomorrow, Friday, January 31, 2025, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Flight Waivers, Delays and Cancellations

If you are traveling to or from Washington National Airport over the next couple of days or so, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to this incident which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip — or even using a different mode of travel altogether — might be better options.

See also

If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary.

Here are ten airlines which have issued travel alerts as a result of this weather system:

Final Boarding Call

Be sure to contact your airline or transportation provider for the latest information pertaining to your travels — if they are adversely affected and if they offer either Washington Dulles International Airport or Baltimore Washington International Airport as alternatives — and please: travel safely.

In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with those who were killed in this horrific tragedy — as well as their family members, friends, and colleagues…

Three American Eagle airplanes are photographed at Washington National Airport. Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

© 2006-2025 The Gate with Brian Cohen All Rights Reserved.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Gate with Brian Cohen with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!