Donald Trump's giant Washington arch plan sparks flight safety row

A proposed 250-foot (76m) Independence Arch, championed by Donald Trump, would require red safety lights but poses no safety risk to air traffic at the nearby Reagan Washington National Airport, a US agency confirmed on Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated it would conduct a comprehensive aeronautical study in collaboration with the National Park Service.

A preliminary review indicated the arch, situated 3,000 feet from Reagan National and within the airport's primary approach and departure corridor, would need to be illuminated with red obstruction lights. The FAA typically mandates blinking red warning lights on structures exceeding 200 feet near airports to alert pilots during night flights, similar to the 555-foot Washington Monument.

Mr Trump envisions the arch being constructed in Washington, across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial and close to Arlington National Cemetery.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The design, reminiscent of Paris's Arc de Triomphe but significantly larger, is estimated to reach 250 feet, featuring eagle statues and a Lady Liberty-type figure atop. This height surpasses the Lincoln Memorial and approaches that of the 288-foot US Capitol. In contrast, the Arc de Triomphe stands at 164 feet.

The National Capital Planning Commission advanced the project on 4 June, requesting further details on its potential impact on flight paths. However, a lawsuit has been filed seeking to halt the construction, arguing that proceeding would inflict irreversible damage on a protected historic landscape at the heart of the capital.

The legal challenge contends that Congress must approve any substantial new structure on federally administered land within the District of Columbia. The Justice Department, conversely, maintains that Congress authorised large structures at the proposed site decades ago, delegating authority to the National Park Service to modify their design.