Security Threat Halts Flights at Reagan National Airport

Flights were halted at Ronald Reagan National Airport due to a bomb threat involving a United Airlines aircraft. The plane was moved to a secure area, and passengers were evacuated. The incident caused significant delays amid an ongoing federal shutdown affecting air traffic operations.

Flights at Ronald Reagan National Airport came to a halt on Tuesday following a reported bomb threat, according to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). Authorities responded swiftly, moving the involved aircraft to a secure area of the airfield.

Passengers from the United Airlines aircraft were evacuated and transported to the terminal as a precaution, with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority overseeing the operation. The incident is under investigation, with the FBI taking the lead.

As officials investigate, delays rippled across the nation's airports, exacerbated by the ongoing federal shutdown affecting unpaid air traffic controllers. Departure delays at the airport averaged 51 minutes, sometimes extending to over two hours.

(With inputs from agencies.)