- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
New ALERT Act Aims to Boost Aviation Safety After Deadly Crash
Bipartisan bill introduced in Congress following Flight 5342 tragedy that killed 67 people
Published on Feb. 21, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
A new bipartisan bill called the ALERT Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, aiming to strengthen aviation safety measures in the wake of the deadly Flight 5342 crash. The legislation seeks to upgrade aircraft collision warning systems, review airspace congestion and airport capacity, strengthen air traffic controller training, improve aircraft communication, and enhance military aviation safety.
Why it matters
The ALERT Act is a direct response to the systemic failures identified by the National Transportation Safety Board as contributing factors to the Flight 5342 midair collision that resulted in 67 fatalities. The bill aims to address these issues and implement reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future, making air travel safer for the public.
The details
The ALERT Act was introduced in the House on Thursday, with bipartisan support including from Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas. The legislation seeks to implement a number of safety upgrades, including enhancing aircraft collision warning systems, reviewing airspace congestion and airport capacity, strengthening air traffic controller training, improving aircraft communication, and boosting military aviation safety.
- The ALERT Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 21, 2026.
- The Senate unanimously passed the related ROTOR Act in December 2025, which requires all planes to have location-sharing technology. The House will vote on the ROTOR Act on Monday, February 24, 2026.
The players
Rep. Sharice Davids
A U.S. Representative from Kansas who is backing the ALERT Act legislation.
Sen. Jerry Moran
A U.S. Senator from Kansas who co-sponsored the related ROTOR Act, which addresses aviation safety and requires location-sharing technology on all planes.
What they’re saying
“There isn't a single person in Kansas who wasn't touched in some way by this horrific tragedy. When lives are lost in a preventable accident, Congress has a responsibility to act.”
— Rep. Sharice Davids (Press Release)
What’s next
The House of Representatives will vote on the related ROTOR Act on Monday, February 24, 2026.
The takeaway
The ALERT Act represents a bipartisan effort in Congress to address systemic issues in aviation safety that contributed to the deadly Flight 5342 crash, with the goal of implementing reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future and make air travel safer for the public.
