WASHINGTON The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday it proposing steps to improve Hawaii air tour safety after a series of crashes in bad weather.

The FAA said it is proposing a new process where air tour operators can receive authorization to safely descend below specific altitudes to avoid flying into bad weather.

The National Transportation Safety Board last year cited the FAA decision not to implement some safety recommendations as contributing to the cause of a fatal Hawaii air tour helicopter crash that killed seven in 2019. From 2000 through 2019, Hawaii saw 11 fatal helicopter tour crashes resulting in 45 deaths.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)