Dhaka: The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is pushing back on the US House’s newly introduced Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026, saying the bill does not go far enough to prevent another midair collision like the January 29, 2025, tragedy near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

In a statement, ALPA President Capt. Jason Ambrosi said the union supports parts of the legislation but argued it “falls short” because it does not mandate ADS-B In technology with an integrated cockpit traffic display for pilots.

ALPA cited the National Transportation Safety Board’s final report on the DCA crash, saying investigators found ADS-B In could have given the PSA Airlines Flight 5342 crew about one minute to identify the approaching helicopter, instead of 19 seconds.

“That difference could have saved 67 lives,” Ambrosi said. The NTSB faulted the Federal Aviation Administration and the pilots of a US Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Eagle-coded CRJ700 on approach after a flight from Wichita.

According to ALPA, the ALERT Act creates an industry-driven rulemaking process for broadly defined “collision mitigation” systems, rather than clearly requiring ADS-B In integrated into flight decks. The union said the measure also includes an alternative compliance waiver that could weaken pilot situational awareness.

ALPA instead urged lawmakers to pass the Senate’s ROTOR Act, which it said directly mandates ADS-B In cockpit displays for commercial aircraft operating in dense airspace.

The ALERT Act seeks to address the NTSB’s findings through a broader package of reforms, while the ROTOR Act focuses on technology requirements. ALPA said it will work with House lawmakers to refine the ALERT Act so it fully implements the board’s recommendations.