Reagan airport faced warnings over its packed airspace for years. More flights were approved anyway - ‘We’ve been pretty plain about our [safety] concerns, but it isn’t a good time to speculate right now,

An airspace cluttered with passenger planes and military aircraft. A history of near-crashes. And a growing shortage of air traffic controllers available to manage it all. Some experts, politicians and airport managers have been warning for years of the risks posed by the crowded airspace and volume of flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).