All flights were temporarily stopped at a major airport in Washington DC, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Departing flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were halted for more than an hour starting at 11:18 am ET due to a reported “bomb threat.” The primary runway reopened at 12:50 pm, allowing flights to resume, as per the airport authorities.
Passengers were observed being escorted off an aircraft situated on the runway, with the FAA confirming that the plane was relocated “away from the terminal.” Although flight operations have resumed, departing flights are experiencing an average delay of 51 minutes, with some facing delays of over two hours, according to the FAA.
The reported threat was aimed at United Airlines flight UA512 arriving from Houston IAD, as reported by AirLive. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was moved away from the terminal area to facilitate ongoing investigations by the authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the overseeing body for civil aviation safety in the US, has issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Footage from the scene shows a group of law enforcement officers gathered behind a United Airlines plane on the runway, according to CBS affiliate WUSA reports.
CNN correspondent Pete Muntean, covering aviation news, stated that the flight disruptions were a result of “a bomb threat on a plane.”
Flight tracking platform FlightRadar24 indicated that flights were paused due to an unverified threat against a United Airlines plane, leading to the aircraft being isolated from others at the airport.
All flight operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were suspended from 11:18 am ET following a security emergency declaration at 11:30 am ET.
