American Airlines CEO Meets With Trump Administration Over Air Traffic Control Concerns

by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 11:10 AM ET, Fri February 14, 2025

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom met with President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy this week to discuss potential improvements to the country's air traffic control system.

The Wednesday meeting at the White House in Washington, DC came two weeks after an American regional jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on January 29, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

"The American Airlines team will continue to work together with President Trump, Secretary Duffy, Congress and the entire aviation industry to make our systems even safer," the carrier said in a statement. "The airline remains focused on caring for the families and loved ones of those who were on the flight."

While a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation remains underway in the wake of last month's deadly crash, initial reports indicate that DCA's air traffic control towers were understaffed as continues to be the case across most of the country's airports.

The NTSB has since reported that ATC data from the airport showed the helicopter as being above its flight ceiling of 200 feet.

The meeting between Isom and the Trump Administration also comes one week after the president promised to revamp the nation's ATC system with the help of tech billionaire Elon Musk—head of Trump's newly-created Department of Government Efficiency task force—and his DOGE team.

Trump's comments were met with praise from U.S. travel industry leaders, with U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman saying the country is "encouraged by the focus and leadership of President Trump and Secretary Duffy on addressing longstanding challenges in America’s air traffic control system."