All departures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were temporarily suspended following a bomb threat, resulting in a one-hour halt starting at 11:18 am ET. Passengers were evacuated from an aircraft on the runway, which was later moved away from the terminal, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
After the main runway reopened at 12:50 pm, flights resumed, but with an average delay of 51 minutes and some facing over a two-hour delay. The threat was directed at a United Airlines flight from Houston IAD, prompting the relocation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 for investigation.
Despite the disruption, operations at the airport have returned to normal. Authorities, including the FAA, are conducting an inquiry into the incident. Video footage captured police presence behind a United Airlines plane on the runway, as reported by CBS affiliate WUSA.
Aviation correspondent Pete Muntean mentioned that the flight suspension was due to a bomb threat targeting a specific aircraft. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicated that the threat was connected to a United Airlines plane, which was isolated from other aircraft on the premises.
The security scare led to a brief suspension of all flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, following the issuance of a security emergency alert at 11:30 am ET.