There ahs already been some political controversy about flights into and out of DC which may feed into the recent awful events, unfortunately
In April 2024, Congress announced a $105b FAA reauthorization bill.
The bill raised hiring targets for air traffic control but it also added flights to Reagan National airport, despite opposition from Democratic senators from Maryland and Virginia.
Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland vowed to “continue to fight against this ridiculous and dangerous provision.”
Many of the senators pushing for expanded flights at Washington National – the bill added five incoming and five outgoing flights per day – reportedly wanted more direct routes back to their home states.
“The very title of the ‘Direct Access to the Capital Act’ gives the game away that this bill is written to maximize the personal convenience of a comparatively small number of powerful, well-connected individuals at the expense of safety and efficiency of flights — which should be our top priority,” Don Beyer, a Representative of Virginia, told the Washington Post at the time.
The bill sponsor, Representative Burgess Owens of Utah, defended the bill, saying: “Our effort is not about benefiting one airport, one airline, or any one member of Congress.”
It is an increasingly busy- and also awkward- flight path.