A Transportation Expert Says This U.S. Airport Could Be A Collision Risk

Plane crashes aren't something that any frequent traveler likes to think about, and midair collisions are particularly terrifying. Two planes colliding as they hurtle through the sky is a worst-case scenario situation. There are plenty of procedures in place to mitigate collision risks, but accidents can and do still occur. The risk for a collision is particularly high at Hollywood Burbank Airport, according to transportation officials.

Hollywood Burbank Airport is a regional airport in California located in Los Angeles County. It is serviced by major airlines like American Airlines, Delta, and United. Several low-cost carriers, including Southwest Airlines, Frontier, Allegiant, and Spirit, also fly to and from Hollywood Burbank Airport.

According to an official from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), some commercial airlines have been raising concerns. "Burbank is one where commercial airlines have called me to say the next midair is going to be at Burbank," Jennifer Homendy, NTSB Chair, said during a board meeting in early 2026.

According to Homendy, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) isn't paying enough attention to the commercial airlines' warnings. The airport is medium-sized, but heavily used by both airplanes and helicopters. The runways are short, and there isn't enough airspace for all of the air traffic, so it's one of a few airports pilots hate flying into. "The FAA has to ensure safety. That is their job," she said.

On March 2, 2026, just a few weeks after the NTSB Chair made her statements, there was a close call at Hollywood Burbank Airport. According to a statement issued by the FAA, "a Beechcraft 99 was cleared to land at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Southern California and conflicted with a helicopter that was flying through the final approach path. The aircraft were on converging courses when the helicopter made a right-hand turn to avoid the Beechcraft." Had the pilots not reacted quickly, the incident could have resulted in a tragic plane crash.

Another close call occurred at Hollywood Burbank Airport in 2023. A Mesa Airlines flight was landing at Hollywood Burbank Airport at the same time a SkyWest Airlines flight was taking off. The two aircraft barely missed each other, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Dan Feger, the former executive director at Hollywood Burbank Airport, said he hoped "that they wake up before the catastrophe that NTSB is warning about actually occurs," in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. He also mentioned that staffing shortages at the radar approach control facility are an issue. 

After the near-collision at Hollywood Burbank Airport in early March, the FAA announced several major changes aimed to enhance safety. Previously, a "visual separation" method was used to avoid collisions between airplanes and helicopters. The new policy "mandates that air traffic controllers will instead use radar to actively manage these aircraft to keep them separated at specific lateral or vertical distances," according to a statement released by the FAA on March 18, 2026.

The new policy is a step in the right direction, but will it be enough to address the collision risk at Hollywood Burbank Airport? "We have to put more restrictions on where and when flights can take place," a flight safety officer with the Foundation for Aviation Safety and former Navy pilot named Randy Klatt told the Los Angeles Times. He recommended that passengers opt to fly early in the morning or late at night when there isn't as much air traffic. You may also want to opt to fly on one of America's safest airlines with the least amount of incidents.