“Air units will be restricted from responding to requests for service in the affected areas,” wrote Larsen, the acting commanding officer of Air Support Division. The restrictions are part of a nationwide “safety review of airports with mixed helicopter and airplane traffic,” the agency said. The federal review comes after a series of high-profile midair crashes and close calls reignited a nationwide debate over air safety. The FAA has deemed the airport among its “hotspots” with a high volume of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic. The LAPD began using its first helicopter in 1957 to help monitor traffic along the city’s burgeoning highway system.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 28, 2026 15:32 UTC