The Federal Aviation Administration says helicopters will be permanently banned from flying near Washington, D.C.’s airport on the route where an airliner and an Army helicopter collided in midair.

The move follows federal investigators's call for a ban on helo flights on the route, citing a string of near misses in recent years.

The Federal Aviation Administration is permanently halting non-essential helicopter operations near Reagan National Airport in D.C., the agency announced Friday. The big picture: The closure comes after the National Transportation Safety Board's urgent recommendation earlier this week,