Airlines have issued travel waivers to help passengers whose flights into and out of Washington, D.C., were affected following a deadly midair collision on Wednesday.

Aviation experts have warned about the risk of a passenger aircraft collision for years.They cite air traffic controller shortages and airspace congestion as safety risks.Wednesday's crash is the first complete-loss US airline accident since 2009.

The married couple, won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994, had reportedly lived in the US since at least 1998.

All 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter were feared dead in what was likely to be the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said Thursday.

The crash, resulting in 67 lives lost, is the deadliest aviation incident in the United States since 2001. It ends a yearslong accident-free run for the country’s commercial flight industry.

Wednesday night’s crash of an American Airlines commuter plane in Washington could be one of the worst disasters for the Fort Worth-based airline in more than two decades.

The search and rescue mission was transitioning to a recovery mission, and no survivors were expected, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said.

Delta, United, American and Southwest generated about $8 billion in profit on $200 billion in revenue last year, but the airlines all lost money flying passengers.

U.S. Figure Skating previously said several skaters, coaches and their family members were on the American Airlines flight that crashed near Washington.

The names of the 60 passengers and four crew members on board began to emerge Thursday as authorities revealed there were likely no survivors of the fiery tragedy that was shaping up to be the

The crash of an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter was the latest to strike the sports world in the U.S. and globally.