All air travel was temporarily suspended at a significant airport in Washington DC, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration. Departing flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were halted for over an hour starting at 11:18 am ET due to a potential “bomb threat.” The primary runway was reopened at 12:50 pm, and flight operations have since resumed, as confirmed by the airport authorities.
Passengers were observed being escorted off an airplane on the runway, with the FAA ensuring that the aircraft was relocated “away from the terminal” for safety measures. Despite the disruption, flight services have been restored at the airport. Nonetheless, departing flights are facing an average delay of 51 minutes, with some experiencing delays of over two hours, according to the FAA.
Reports indicate that the security concern was directed at United Airlines flight UA512 arriving from Houston IAD. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was moved to a secure location away from the terminal while authorities conducted their investigation, as mentioned by AirLive, an aviation news source.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the regulatory body overseeing civil aviation safety in the United States, has issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Video footage from the scene depicts a group of law enforcement officers gathered on the runway behind a United Airlines plane, as reported by CBS affiliate WUSA. CNN correspondent Pete Muntean stated that the flight disruptions were triggered by a bomb threat against an aircraft.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 highlighted that flights were paused due to an unverified threat targeting a United Airlines plane, which was subsequently isolated from other aircraft at the airport.
All flight operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were suspended starting from 11:18 am ET following a security emergency declaration at 11:30 am ET.
