ARLINGTON, Va. (WDCW) — A bomb threat prompted planes at Ronald Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington, D.C., to be grounded on Tuesday. Video shows passengers of one plane were even forced to deboard on the tarmac.
The FBI confirmed that the airport, one of the nation’s busiest, grounded planes after reports of a bomb threat around 11:20 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
In an update roughly an hour later, the airport posted on X that all flights were being held while passengers on United Airlines flight 512 were offloaded and bussed to the terminal.
The threat was directed towards a United Airlines flight traveling from Houston, Texas, to the Washington, D.C. area airport, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X.
Video taken by Renee Banks and shared with Nexstar’s WDCW showed the passengers exiting a United flight and walking toward a heavy police response.
Another video from the scene, captured by Ben Radnor, showed emergency vehicles outside the plane.
You can see that video here:
All other flights were put on hold while the aircraft was moved to an isolated area of the airport. The 89 passengers and six crew members disembarked from the Boeing 737 plane and were bussed to the terminal, United Airlines and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said.
The FAA released a statement about the incident:
“The FAA is aware of a reported security issue on an aircraft at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Passengers have been removed, and the aircraft is away from the terminal while authorities investigate. Monitor fly.faa.gov for updates.”
The FBI Washington Field Office’s National Capital Response Squad responded and found no hazards. Flights resumed just after 1 p.m., the airport confirmed.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police is investigating with the assistance of multiple law enforcement partners, including the FBI.
Several flights were diverted to other airports during the runway closure. Flight delays can be expected; travelers should check with their airline for updated flight information.
Before flights resumed, the average delay time for departing flights outside of the airport was 51 minutes on Tuesday afternoon, according to the the Federal Aviation Administration. The maximum delay time was over two hours.
Flight delays across the country have been on the rise as the federal government enters the second month of a shutdown, leaving air traffic controllers to work without pay.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
