All flights were temporarily halted at a significant airport in Washington DC, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Departing flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were suspended for over an hour starting at 11:18 am ET due to a reported “bomb threat.” The main runway was reopened at 12:50 pm, and flight operations have now resumed, as per the airport’s update.
During the suspension, passengers were observed being escorted off an aircraft on the runway, with the FAA ensuring the plane was relocated “away from the terminal.” Although flights have resumed, the FAA noted that departing flights are facing an average delay of 51 minutes, with some experiencing delays of over two hours.
Reports indicated that the security concern was directed towards United Airlines flight UA512 from Houston IAD. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was relocated away from the terminal area while authorities conducted an investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration, responsible for civil aviation safety in the US, issued a statement regarding the incident. A video from the scene depicted a group of police gathered behind a United Airlines plane on the runway, as reported by CBS affiliate WUSA.
CNN correspondent Pete Muntean, covering aviation news, mentioned that the flight disruptions were due to a “bomb threat on a plane.” Flight tracking site FlightRadar24 reported that flights were temporarily paused due to an unverified threat against a United Airlines aircraft, which was subsequently moved away from other planes at the airport.
All flight operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were on hold starting from 11:18 am ET, following a security emergency declaration at 11:30 am ET.
