Runways Reopen at Washington’s Reagan National Airport After Bomb Threat

International

Operations resume following temporary shutdown and security investigation

Air traffic at Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C. resumed on Tuesday afternoon after a security threat forced authorities to temporarily halt operations for more than an hour.

According to airport officials, United Airlines flight 512, arriving from Houston, landed safely at 11:30 a.m. local time (16:30 GMT) and stopped on an adjacent runway away from the terminal in response to a reported bomb threat. All passengers were safely offloaded and transported by bus to the terminal before normal runway operations resumed at 12:50 p.m.

Investigation under way

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police are conducting a “thorough investigation” with support from multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the flight had received a bomb threat during its approach to Washington. “The flight landed safely, passengers were evacuated, and law enforcement conducted a full search of the aircraft,” Duffy said on social media platform X, adding that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later gave the all-clear for operations to resume.

Flight disruptions and delays

During the closure, several flights were diverted to nearby airports, and passengers experienced delays throughout the afternoon. Airport authorities urged travellers and those meeting arriving passengers to check directly with airlines for the latest flight updates.

By early afternoon, both runways at Reagan National Airport were fully reopened, and flight schedules were gradually returning to normal.