Passengers are seeing long delays and significant disruptions at Washington’s Reagan National Airport due to new safety restrictions for President Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter, according to a new report.
The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed new safety requirements for when the presidential helicopter is in the air following the deadly collision between an Army Black Hawk and an American Airlines jet over Washington D.C. last month, The Washington Post reports.
These new requirements include increased runway closures when Marine One is nearby, leaving even less room for commercial jets at the already-crowded airport. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA imposed the restrictions earlier this month following January’s deadly crash, which killed all 67 people on board both aircraft.
“For years, non-critical helicopter traffic congested the DCA airspace, which created challenges for controllers and pilots,” the FAA said in a statement.
The runway closures mean many jets are forced to circle above the airport, the Post reports, and American Airlines has even instructed pilots to carry additional fuel to account for potential delays. Dozens of inbound flights have also been forced to divert to other airports, including Dulles International, Baltimore-Washington International and Marshall and Richmond International.
While some delays were typical when Marine One is nearby, the new policies have made these disruptions even more severe, the Post reports.
One unnamed American Airlines passenger told the Post she experienced a delay first-hand. When her flight was descending into Washington, it suddenly pulled up and began holding due to “VIP movement,” the pilot explained over the intercom.
The disruption impacted them on the ground, too, as American Airlines staff scrambled to help passengers who missed connections or car reservations.
“People were panicked because they were afraid of missing their flights and some people had already missed their connections entirely,” she told the Post. “Some had cars or car rentals at National or reservations in that part of town.”
On February 14, weeks after the new rules came into force, Trump left the White House on the first leg of a trip to Florida. During that time, roughly 30 airliners bound for National were kept circling the sky, with nine ultimately diverted, according to data seen by the Post. A similar pattern has been followed in the days since.
The airport already faces heavy congestion, which some lawmakers say is cause for concern.
Last spring, a major aviation bill passed by Congress and signed by then-President Joe Biden added five new daily long-haul flights at Reagan. Many Washington-area lawmakers and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority opposed it, citing potential safety issues due to overcrowding.
Senator Time Kaine of Virginia said last year the airport is “pressed to the gills,” handling 25 million passengers a year when it’s only designed for 15 million, according to CNN.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen made a similar argument: “The proposal flies in the face of known safety concerns and known congestion concerns.”
