Hollywood Burbank Airport officials say safety is ‘our top priority’

Hollywood Burbank Airport officials insisted on Wednesday the facility is safe for passengers, one day after the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board suggested the airport could be the next to experience a midair collision due to the combination of airline and helicopter traffic in the area.

“The safety of our guests, staff, tenants and all stakeholders while they are at Hollywood Burbank Airport is our top priority,” a written statement released Wednesday by the airport said. “Once our passengers are in planes that are taxiing and in flight (arriving or departing), safety is top priority for the Federal Aviation Administration.”

On Wednesday, NTSB Board Chair Jennifer Homendy delivered a blistering rebuke of FAA failures relating to a January 2025 midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people.

She pointed in part to concerns about the mixing of commercial airplane and helicopter traffic, noting that there was extensive data about the air traffic pointing to the danger of such a midair collision. She then noted in her remarks that she has heard from airline officials about similar concerns at other airports.

Homendy said airline officials have told her “the next midair (collision) is going to be at Burbank, and nobody at FAA is paying attention to us. So whether it is involving helicopters or not, people are raising red flags, and why aren’t people listening? The FAA has to ensure safety. That is their job.”

The FAA issued a statement following the hearing insisting that it has taken steps to improve safety at the airport in Washington, and at other airfields such as Burbank and Van Nuys.

“In February 2025, we began using innovative AI tools to identify similar hotspots with high volumes of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic and implement appropriate mitigations,” the FAA said. “One of our primary focus areas was Van Nuys Airport and nearby Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area. Based on our safety analysis, the FAA lowered the Van Nuys traffic pattern by 200 feet during an evaluation in 2025 to see if that would reduce conflicts with aircraft landing at Burbank. Preliminary data indicated the change resulted in a reduction of Traffic Collision Avoidance System alerts for Burbank arrivals and we permanently lowered the Van Nuys traffic pattern effective Jan. 5, 2026.”

Burbank airport officials added Wednesday: “Hollywood Burbank Airport values its working partnership with the FAA and has great respect for the critical role they and other agencies have in ensuring a safe experience for all travelers.”