Air travel in the United States is extremely safe by global standards, with one aviation group calculating in 2023 that a person would have to fly every day for 103,239 years before they experienced a fatal accident.
But a series of recent pressures, including ongoing government shutdowns that have strained airport staffing and oversight, as well as US-led instability in the Middle East, have some experts worried that it may be getting a little less safe. Regulators in the US are also still analyzing the deadly January 25 disaster in Washington, DC, airspace, in which a passenger plane and military helicopter collided midair.
All these factors have authorities paying even closer attention to the country’s $263 billion aviation industry, and studying not just what happens in the air, but what happens before takeoff and after landing.
Part of that oversight includes the Federal Aviation Administration’s database of airport “hot spots,” identifying areas on runways where miscommunication between pilots, air traffic controllers, and vehicle drivers is more likely to occur. Those spots are more likely to have dangerous close calls, such as a plane entering a runway when another aircraft is taking off. More than 150 airports across the country have at least one hot spot, according to the most recent report.
While it sounds concerning, the hot spot list is a step in the right direction for safety. It allows airports to understand the riskiest areas and take steps to reduce the chances of an incident before something goes wrong. Here’s what to know.
What exactly is an FAA hot spot?
A plane landing while another takes off at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport. Photo: Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport
Despite the ominous name, a hot spot is not an entire airport. It’s a very specific, small location on the ground, like an intersection between runways or a spot on the tarmac where signage is confusing. The FAA defines it as an area “with a history or potential risk of collision or runway incursion, and where heightened attention by pilots and drivers is necessary.” The best way to think of them is akin to a complex interchange on the highway where travelers know to use extra caution because it’s been flagged in advance.
Hot spots are mapped and marked, with their specifics included as part of the material given to pilots before every flight. Air traffic controllers are also made aware of these areas so they can provide additional reminders and advice as pilots and drivers approach each one. Airports may also use the hot spot list to decide where to put extra signage or change traffic patterns.
Do hot spots mean an airport is unsafe?
A busy runway in Denver. Photo: Denver International Airport
Fortunately, that’s not what the designation means. In fact, it probably means the airport is paying close attention to safety. The FAA uses hot spots as planning and safety awareness tools, not as a way to rate airports most likely to have an incident. Hot spots indicate a risk has been identified and planned against to avoid future problems. Hot spots are also one of only many safety tools available to airports and pilots, with layers of redundant systems designed to prevent incidents, from AI-based planning programs to extensive air traffic controller training.
Mapping hotspots is a sign that authorities are trying to get ahead of accidents rather than relying on near misses and pilot reports. For travelers, you’re unlikely to notice anything more than a slightly longer taxi time or longer pause before making turns on the runway.
What airports are on the list?
A runway marshal at San Diego International Airport. Photo: San Diego International Airport
The latest nationwide hot spot report was from November 2025, when the FAA noted 467 hot spots across 156 airports. However, the hotspot report for the western US was just updated in March 2026, and it shows a variety of airports with the designation. Covering California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, the report identifies more than 130 hot spots across 56 airports, with California accounting for the overwhelming majority (34 airports and more than 80 hot spots).
Several have multiple hot spots, including Livermore Municipal Airport in California and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico (six each), Hayward Executive Airport in the SF Bay Area (five), and San Francisco International Airport (four). Oakland International Airport has three, while nearby San Jose Mineta International Airport has two. North Las Vegas Airport in Nevada as well as Colorado’s Centennial Airport and Colorado Springs Airport each have four. The variety of airports included suggests that hot spots are less to do with airport size or passenger volume, and more about layout and operational procedures.
For example, at Oakland Airport in the Bay Area, hot spot one is an araa where pilots often can’t tell which runway is which, with the March 2026 report noting that “Pilots sometimes mistake Twy A for Twy B, and vice versa,” and recommending that pilot and air traffic controllers “verify correct taxi route” before proceeding. At San Diego International Airport, the sole hot spot was flagged for the frequency with which pilots often turn onto the wrong runway, potentially due to tight spacing or unclear signage. And at Denver International Airport, hot spot one was flagged as it’s near a marked stop line that planes occasionally overshoot (called a “hold bar,”) potentially putting them in the path of incoming planes preparing to land. Marking these locations in advance allows staff to exercise extra caution, ideally making these airports safer for future flyers.
