An airspace cluttered with passenger planes and military aircraft. A history of near-crashes. And a growing shortage of air traffic controllers available to manage it all. Some experts, politicians and airport managers have been warning for years of the risks posed by the crowded airspace and volume of flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Rep. Troy Nehls told The Post that Federal Aviation Administration officials had known about the “staffing issues” and that the air traffic controller involved was “not only