FAA gives green light to Trump’s 250-foot 'triumphal arch’ as it likely poses no risk to aviation

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” near Reagan National Airport likely won’t mess with air traffic, but it still needs warning lights.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday gave an early thumbs-up to the proposed arch, saying the structure planned less than two miles from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport would likely not create major risks for air traffic.

Green light in principle, but don’t ditch the caution tape yet

In its feasibility study, the FAA concluded the arch would have “no significant adverse effect on airspace and visual/instrument procedures” at Reagan National, one of the busiest airports in the country just outside Washington, DC. But because of the structure’s height, officials said it would need “to be lit with red obstruction lights.”

The FAA stressed the review was limited in scope and not the final word. A full aeronautical study would still be required before any construction gets off the ground.

The Trump administration had asked for the feasibility check for the project, which would sit in a grassy area at the end of Memorial Bridge directly across from the Lincoln Memorial. 

According to the National Parks Service submission, the structure’s total height would reach 279 feet once site elevation is included. FAA rules kick in when structures exceed 200 feet and may interfere with airspace, triggering formal review. The agency says these studies are usually wrapped in 45 to 90 days, but they can stretch as long as nine months.

Pilots approaching or leaving Reagan already deal with a complicated “north approach” flight path that forces them to maneuver around major landmarks, including the Pentagon and the Washington Monument.

That corridor has also seen its share of high-stakes scares and tragedies. It includes last year’s midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, as well as a 1982 crash into the 14th Street Bridge during takeoff. Adding a towering new landmark into that mix doesn’t exactly simplify things.

Even so, the FAA’s early finding suggests the arch itself wouldn’t significantly disrupt flight procedures, assuming all future requirements are met and the project clears later stages of review.

Washington approvals and a hearing that got loud

Before anything gets built, the proposal still has to pass through the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, two bodies that oversee major federal construction in the capital.

Thursday’s planning commission meeting moved the project forward, but stopped short of final approval. While Trump allies chair the panel, staff reviewers flagged multiple concerns.

Will Scharf, Trump’s White House staff secretary and commission chair, said after a nearly three-hour hearing, “I think the project team has some homework to do." He added that officials wanted more visual renderings showing how the arch would appear from different viewpoints, one of several technical requests raised by staff.

Scharf also made clear the vote wasn’t the finish line. “I'll note, for those present, that this is not our final review of the project. That will come at a later meeting," he insisted.

Tensions briefly flared during the hearing, with Scharf addressing interruptions from the audience.

“I think it's very important that this commission be allowed to do the work that it does,” he said. “And for those of you who are opposed to this project, I don't think you help your case by heckling commissioners when they make their reasoned comments in response to the proposal that's before us.”

He later added, “I really don't appreciate the heckling, but I'll continue,” as the meeting pressed on. 

After the hearing, Trump took to social media to thank the commission for approving the arch. However, officials noted that no final approval had actually been granted yet.