All flights were temporarily halted at a major airport located 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 from 11:18 am ET due to a reported bomb threat. The main runway was reopened at 12:50 pm, allowing flights to resume normal operations, as per the airport authorities.
Passengers were observed being escorted off an aircraft on the runway, with the FAA ensuring the plane was relocated “away from the terminal.” Despite the brief suspension, flights have now resumed at the airport. However, the FAA noted that departing flights are facing an average delay of 51 minutes, with some experiencing delays exceeding two hours.
The reported threat specifically targeted the United Airlines flight UA512 arriving from Houston IAD, according to AirLive. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft involved was moved to a safe location away from the terminal while authorities conduct an investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration, responsible for civil aviation safety in the US, has issued a statement regarding the incident.
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 mentioned that the flight suspension was due to a bomb threat concerning an aircraft.
Flight tracking site FlightRadar24 reported that flights were paused due to an unconfirmed threat against a United Airlines plane, which was subsequently isolated from other aircraft at the airport. All flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were put on hold starting from 11:18 am ET, following a security emergency declaration at 11:30 am ET.