FAA: Trump Triumphal Arch Requires Eternal Flame to Warn Pilots
The FAA's aviation hazard ruling introduces a regulatory condition that will shape design negotiations between federal agencies and the White House over a proposed Washington monument.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a hazard study on Friday, September 19, 2026, determining that President Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch in Washington, D.C., would require an "eternal flame" mounted on top of the structure to alert pilots to the obstruction, according to The Hill.
An FAA spokesperson confirmed the agency's position in a statement to The Hill: "The FAA's determination includes conditions for the Arch to be appropriately marked with a non-standard eternal flame on top of the structure and floodlight projectors pointed towards the Arch to make it noticeable for pilots."
The hazard study is a standard regulatory instrument used by the FAA under the authority granted by the Federal Aviation Act, codified at 49 U.S.C. Section 44718, which requires the agency to evaluate any proposed structure that could pose a hazard to air navigation in or near controlled airspace. Washington, D.C., sits within one of the most restrictive airspaces in the United States, governed in part by the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone and the Flight Restricted Zone around the National Mall area.
The FAA's designation of the eternal flame as a "non-standard" marking is significant in regulatory terms. Standard aviation obstruction lighting, as defined in FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460-1M, typically involves red or white strobe and steady-burning lights fixed to a structure. A non-standard condition requires a separate engineering and safety determination and is not automatically governed by the existing advisory circular framework. The precise dimensions and proposed location of the arch were not disclosed in the FAA spokesperson's public statement.
The Triumphal Arch project was announced as part of the Trump administration's broader effort to redesign portions of Washington, D.C., consistent with executive directives related to classical architecture in federal buildings. The relevant executive order, signed in 2020 and reinstated after the 2025 inauguration, directed federal agencies to favor classical and traditional architectural styles in new federal construction. The arch concept specifically has been discussed in White House communications as a monument intended for the National Mall vicinity, though a precise site has not been publicly confirmed in federal records reviewed for this article.
Floodlight projectors, also specified in the FAA's conditions, serve a distinct function from obstruction lights. They illuminate the structure from below or the sides to increase daytime and nighttime visual contrast for pilots approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and other nearby airfields. Reagan National, operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, sits approximately three miles south of the National Mall and handles more than 25 million passengers annually, according to Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority fiscal year 2025 traffic statistics.
The FAA hazard study does not itself approve or reject a construction project. Under FAA Order 7400.2, a determination of hazard with conditions means the agency will not object to construction if the stated conditions are met. The ultimate permitting authority over structures on or near the National Mall rests with multiple agencies, including the National Capital Planning Commission and the National Park Service, both of which must conduct separate reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
No congressional appropriation specifically for the Triumphal Arch has been identified in USASpending.gov records or in any congressional budget resolution or continuing appropriations act reviewed for this article. How the project would be funded, whether through executive discretionary accounts, a private foundation, or a future congressional appropriation, remains unknown. A formal budget request submitted by the White House Office of Management and Budget would be the document that would clarify the funding mechanism.
The design firm or firms engaged to develop architectural plans for the arch have not been disclosed in any public federal contract record on USASpending.gov as of the publication date of this article. It is unknown whether a competitive procurement process has been initiated or whether a sole-source justification has been filed with the General Services Administration.
What remains publicly unresolved: the precise proposed height and location of the arch, the total estimated construction cost, the identity of any contracted design or engineering firms, and the timeline for National Capital Planning Commission review. The NCPC's public meeting calendar and posted docket would be the first place such a review would appear on the public record.