Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
satellite image of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, taken April 26, 2002. Its runways end mere feet from the Potomac River. The highrises of Crystal City are visible in the upper left corner of the image.]]Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia is the closest commercial airport to Washington, D.C Its IATA Airport Code is DCA. It is named after Ronald Reagan, former United States President, and, by extension George Washington.
Because of limited gate availability and local noise limitations, almost all flights are to destinations within 2000 km (1250 miles). Notable are the US Airways Shuttle and Delta Shuttle hourly flights to New York City and Boston, which are a favorite of federal officials and of those who have business with the federal government.
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2 Security Concerns 3 Terminals 4 Transportation 5 External Links |
Washington National Airport was built by the federal government on mudflats alongside the Potomac River at Gravelly Point, 7 km (4½ miles) south of Washington, D.C. It replaced Hoover Field, which was located near the present-day Pentagon and had a single runway intersected by a local street (guards had to stop auto traffic during takeoffs and landings). National Airport opened on June 16, 1941.
The federal government relinquished control of National as well as Washington Dulles International Airport in 1987, when President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that created the independent Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
In 1998, the airport's name was changed from Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Its original name remains on the stone façade of the main terminal, and it is still widely known as "National Airport".
Prior to the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, the airport had 792 scheduled commercial flights a day. After the attacks the airport was closed for several weeks, and additional security procedures remain in place for flights into and out of DCA.
Because of its proximity to central Washington, National Airport has been subject to special security procedures for many years. Before 2001, the most notable of these was the southbound approach into the airport. Most of central Washington is restricted airspace up to 18,000 feet: in order to land on National's southbound runway, pilots had to follow the path of the Potomac River and make a steep turn shortly before landing, in a procedure called the "River Visual." Employees in high-rise buildings nearby often claimed that they could see passengers' faces in the windows of airplanes flying by.
When National reopened after September 11, it was subjected to much stricter security measures. Passengers must now remain seated for 30 minutes after takeoff from National, and also for 30 minutes before landing at National. The River Visual approach was also banned until mid-2002. A law was also passed banning aircraft of more than 156 seats at National. All of these regulations were intended to prevent terrorist activity similar to the September 11 attacks, when hijackers flew large aircraft into prominent buildings.
The old Terminal A is currently being renovated and has only nine gates. Terminal B/C, opened in 1997 has thirty-five gates with check-in and baggage claim.
History
Security Concerns
Terminals
Terminal A
Check-in and baggage claim for Terminal A are located in Terminal B.Terminal B
Terminal C
Transportation
National Airport has a Washington Metro stop, on the Yellow and Blue lines.