The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday found that President Donald Trump’s proposed new monument in Washington, D.C., does not pose a threat to air safety, allowing plans for the grand arch to advance.
Architects have situated the “Triumphal Arch” on an empty traffic island in Memorial Circle, lying between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The main structure’s height is around 160 feet, but rises to 250 feet when including a soaring gold-winged figure and two eagles atop the arch.
In the wake of concerns that the soaring monument could pose a risk to air travel, due to its location near Washington, D.C.’s largest airport, the FAA this week concluded that the proposed arch would have “no substantial adverse effect” on flights. However, the agency said the monument would be required to have an “eternal flame” atop the structure, and three floodlight projectors pointed at the arch to make it visible to pilots. The FAA had previously required the monument to have red obstruction lights before changing to the current guidelines.
The approval marks the latest regulatory hurdle the arch has overcome. The FAA says its determination, made in an eight-page report after months of investigation and a preliminary approval in June, will become final in late October unless an interested party files a petition by Oct. 18.
The FAA’s key regulatory green light this week seeks to address concerns from some Democrats who questioned Trump’s arch over fears it would further threaten D.C.’s complex airspace. The capital city is known for its tight air traffic and was the site of the deadliest crash in the United States in years in January 2025, when two aircraft collided over the Potomac River, killing all 67 people on board.
In June, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) urged the FAA to “be firm in rejecting any improper or irresponsible pressure from President Trump to prioritize the construction of his gaudy, vanity arch over the safety of the American people.”
“The vanity arch’s proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)—which, as the Trump administration is well aware, is one of the most complex, constrained … airspaces in the National Airspace System—reflects a flagrant disregard for the operational integrity of the airspace, aviation safety, and the priorities of the American people,” she complained.
The arch has not yet been approved by a key federal planning commission. The National Capital Planning Commission gave preliminary approval in July, but has not yet given the arch its go-ahead.
TRUMP ARCH COULD TAKE UP TO THREE YEARS AND 20 HOURS OF CONSTRUCTION PER DAY
Aside from air safety concerns, critics believe the project needs congressional approval and marks an abuse of Trump’s power. The arch also faces a lawsuit from disgruntled veterans worried the soaring structure would disrupt historic views in the D.C. skyline, disrespecting military heroes buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum vowed earlier this month that preliminary construction work on the arch would begin in the next two weeks. But he faced swift backlash from a federal judge, who ordered the Trump administration to give 48 hours’ notice before engaging in any activity on the arch site, except for work to identify underground cultural artifacts.