Bomb Threat on United Flight Shuts Down Washington DC Airport
A bomb threat on a United Airlines flight has forced the complete shutdown of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), grounding all flights and causing massive travel disruptions.
Key Developments
- All flight operations halted at DCA due to security emergency
- United flight from Houston targeted by unconfirmed bomb threat
- Approximately 820 flights impacted with significant delays
- Affected plane moved to isolated area of airfield
Emergency Response
A security emergency was declared at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at 11:30am ET after a United Airlines flight arriving from Houston received a bomb threat. The aircraft was immediately surrounded by emergency vehicles upon landing.
Travelers stranded on the runway confirmed the bomb threat, while flight radar showed multiple planes circling the airport during the ground stop, with others diverting to alternative locations.
“All flight operations are being held at Reagan National while passengers on a United Airlines flight are being offloaded and bussed to the terminal,” a DCA spokesperson told Daily Mail.
Passenger Announcement
Air traffic control made a chilling announcement to United passengers: “I’m sorry I have to do this… we have an unconfirmed bomb report for your flight. We are going to get you away from the airport.”
Widespread Travel Impact
The ground stop has affected approximately 820 flights across multiple regional air traffic centers, including those overseeing New York, Washington, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Boston, and Indianapolis. Maximum delays reached 66 minutes with average delays of 33 minutes.
The United aircraft has been moved to the east side of the airfield as a precautionary measure. Airport authorities continue to investigate the threat and will provide updates as the situation develops.
