Reagan National Airport to Reopen Thursday

Speaking to a crowd at the airport terminal just miles from the White House and other national landmarks, President Bush said “there is no greater symbol that America is back in business than the reopening of this airport.

“We are doing the right thing. We’ve taken our time. We can assure the American public as best we can that we’ve taken the necessary precautions,” President Bush said. “Now it’s time to start flying again.”

Shuttle service to New York and Boston will begin on Thursday. Officials say that as soon as they are confident that security measures are in place, flights to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Newark and Pittsburgh will be allowed.

According to a White House fact sheet released today, only six airlines will be allowed to fly to the eight hub airports for about three weeks after the security measures are implemented.

Authorities will then include 10 additional cities for a second phase expected to last 30 to 45 days. At that point, the airport’s operation will be just over half of what it was before the September 11 attacks.

During this time, several restrictions will be imposed on airline operations. These include limiting in- and outbound flights to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and banning planes with more than 156 seats or larger than a Boeing 737.

There will also be a temporary ban on flight paths that follow the Potomac River near the White House, Capitol, Pentagon and CIA. That path had been used to reduce airplane noise in neighborhoods near the airport.

As a part of security checks, passengers will now be required to go through two security check points, show identification twice, and carry onboard only one bag. Airport employees and flight crews will also go through expanded identification checks.

Washington’s Reagan National Airport, one of the country’s busiest, has remained closed due to concerns over its proximity to important government buildings, monuments and memorials.

Local officials and members of Congress had called on the president to reopen Reagan National, which serves as the primary airport for the District of Columbia and employs over ten thousand people. Local officials also pointed to an additional 70,000 jobs tied to tourism and car rental jobs dependent on the business of National Airport.

Overall, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority estimates that the airport pumps $2.4 billion a year into the local economy.

Two other airports, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore Washington International, also serve the Washington area but are further outside of the city.