All flight operations were suspended at a prominent airport in Washington DC, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Departing flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were put on hold for more than an hour starting at 11:18 am ET, following reports of a potential “bomb threat.” The primary runway was reopened at 12:50 pm, allowing flights to resume, according to airport authorities.
During the incident, passengers were seen disembarking from an aircraft on the runway, with the FAA ensuring the plane was relocated “away from the terminal.” While flight services have resumed, departing flights are currently facing an average delay of 51 minutes, with some experiencing delays exceeding two hours, as stated by the FAA.
Reports from AirLive indicated that the alleged threat was directed towards United Airlines flight UA512 arriving from Houston IAD, leading to the Boeing 737 MAX 8 being relocated away from the terminal area for further investigation by authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the governmental body overseeing civil aviation safety, issued an official statement regarding the security incident at the airport.
Visual evidence from a video showed a group of law enforcement personnel gathered on the runway behind a United Airlines aircraft, according to CBS affiliate WUSA. CNN correspondent Pete Muntean highlighted that flight operations were paused due to a reported “bomb threat on a plane.”
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 revealed that the temporary flight suspension was linked to an unconfirmed threat targeting a United Airlines plane, necessitating the aircraft to be isolated from others at the airport.
All flight activities at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were put on hold from 11:18 am ET, following a security emergency declaration at 11:30 am ET.