ALERT Act

Improved Aircraft Collision Prevention: The bill requires selected aircraft to be equipped with ACAS Xa (Section 102) and rotorcraft to use ACAS Xr (Section 103), which provides visual and audible alerting to pilots to help prevent midair collisions.

Enhanced Training for Flight Crews: The Secretary of Defense must ensure flight crews receive training on fixed-wing operations, approach/departure paths, and runway configurations to better navigate congested airspace (Sec. 2659).

Enhanced Air Traffic Controller Training: It mandates new, scenario-based training for air traffic controllers regarding threat and error management (Section 108) and visual separation procedures (Section 109) to improve situational awareness and safety.

Increased Safety in High-Traffic Areas: The bill requires an assessment of aircraft arrival rates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Section 111) and the evaluation of helicopter routes (Section 118) to ensure safe deconfliction and capacity management.

Better Risk Identification for Controllers: The Administrator must develop a safety risk assessment tool (Section 110) to help air traffic controllers identify, analyze, and mitigate risks in real time.

Improved Operational Safety: The implementation of standards to monitor operational patterns and identify safety risks using accurate flight data aims to support effective risk controls (Sec. 2660).

Increased Accuracy in Navigation: Updating manuals to provide clear guidance on the margin of error for barometric altimeters and the potential error from additional aircraft equipment can improve flight safety (Sec. 2660a).

Improved Communication Reliability: The requirement for a plan to upgrade communications systems aims to improve the clarity and reliability of transmissions between aircraft and air traffic controllers (Sec. 204).

Greater Accountability and Transparency: The establishment of a public dashboard (Section 106), the requirement for a command investigation and implementation plan regarding the January 29, 2025, midair collision (Section 207), and required briefings to Congress and the victims' families ensures that safety implementation is visible and tracked.

Increased Oversight of Near-Miss Events: New notification and reporting requirements for "close proximity encounters" in the National Capital Region provide more transparency regarding safety incidents (Sec. 2660c).

Strengthened Department of Defense Safety: The bill requires the Department of Defense to establish a manned rotary wing aviation safety management system (Section s 2658) and conduct risk assessments for special missions (Section 2657) to improve safety in the National Capital Region.

Financial Burdens on Aircraft Operators: The requirements to retrofit existing aircraft with new collision prevention technology (Section 102 and Section 103) may impose significant costs on aircraft owners and operators.

Increased Workload and Training Requirements: Air traffic controllers will be required to undergo new training programs (Section 108 and Section 109), which may impact their current schedules and operational duties.

Mandatory Refresher Training: Following updates to barometric altimeter manuals, the Secretary must require appropriate refresher training for aircraft crews (Sec. 2660a).

Operational Restrictions for the Military: The bill places new requirements on Department of Defense manned rotary wing aircraft, including a mandate for ADS-B Out transmissions for certain missions (Section 2656), which may impact how special missions are conducted.

Increased Maintenance Burdens: Military departments are required to establish and follow routine intervals for verifying the function of ADS-B Out transponders, which may not be more frequent than once every 90 days (Sec. 2660b).