All air traffic was temporarily stopped at a major airport in Washington DC, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Departures from 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 reopened at 12:50 pm, and flight operations resumed thereafter.
Passengers were observed being escorted off an airplane on the runway, with the FAA verifying that the aircraft was relocated away from the terminal. Despite the interruption, flights have now recommenced, although departing flights are facing an average delay of 51 minutes, with some experiencing delays of over two hours.
A specific threat was mentioned targeting United Airlines flight UA512 arriving from Houston IAD, according to AirLive. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was shifted away from the terminal as authorities carry out their investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration, overseeing the safety of civil aviation in the US, has released a statement regarding the incident.
Video footage from the scene depicts a group of law enforcement officers gathered behind a United Airlines plane on the runway, as reported by CBS affiliate WUSA. CNN correspondent Pete Muntean indicated that the flight disruptions were due to a bomb threat situation.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 noted that flights were halted due to an unconfirmed threat involving a United Airlines plane, which was isolated from other aircraft at the airport. The pause in flight operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport began at 11:18 am ET following a security emergency declaration at 11:30 am ET.