Security emergency at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) after bomb threat on plane, flights placed on ground stop
Flights operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport airport, which were halted due to a bomb threat on a United Airlines flight, were resumed from main runway at 12:50 pm.
A security emergency was issued at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Tuesday after a bomb threat on a plane, impacting several flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that it issued a ground stop for traffic at Reagan Washington National Airport over a security issue.
“All flight operations are being held at Reagan National while passengers on a United Airlines flight are being offloaded and bussed to the terminal. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” said Ronald Reagan Airport in a post on X.
However, the airport's X handle later posted that the main runway reopened at 12:50 pm, adding, “Flights are resuming.”
According to Daily Mail, travelers stranded on the runway reported a bomb threat on a United flight that landed from Houston.
FlightRadar24, an flight tracking site, said the issue was due to an unconfirmed threat against a United Airlines airplane that had been moved away from other aircraft at the airport
A person briefed on the matter said a threat had been made against the plane and in an abundance of caution the plane was being checked, reported Reuters.
More than 120 flights have already been delayed at Reagan, according to FlightAware.
Enforcement vehicles on ground
The enforcement vehicles were seen near the plane , which was moved away from other aircraft at the airport.
Flights delayayed amid shutdown, passengers hit
Meanwhile, as the shutdown entered its 35th day, the Federal Aviation Administration delayed a new round of flights. Airlines said this week 3.2 million passengers have been hit by delays or canceled flights due to a spike in air traffic controller absences.
US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the government shutdown will cause air travel chaos if it lasts another week, worsening staff shortages, snarling airport lines and closing down sections of airspace.
"So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos... You will see mass flight delays," he told a news conference in Philadelphia.
“You'll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don't have the air traffic controllers.”