Flights resume at Washington airport after ‘security’ issue

WASHINGTON - Aviation authorities have ordered operations to resume at Washington’s Reagan National Airport after an investigation into a bomb threat, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

A ground stop had been ordered earlier on Nov 4 at the airport, which is close to the centre of the US capital. The Federal Aviation Administration’s stated reason for the halt was “due to security.”

In a post on X, Mr Duffy said a United Airlines flight coming in from Houston had received a bomb threat.

“The flight landed safely at DCA, passengers were evacuated, and law enforcement conducted a full search of the aircraft,” Mr Duffy said.

The airport “has received the all clear and operations have resumed,” he added.

Video broadcast by local media showed a United Airlines plane moved to an auxiliary taxiway with several police vehicles nearby.

Reagan Airport said in a post on X that the plane’s passengers were “offloaded and bussed to the terminal.” AFP