Reported threat halts flights at Washington’s Reagan airport for a time

All flights to and from one of the busiest airstrips in the United States were halted for a time Tuesday due to a bomb threat, authorities said.

The threat was directed at a United Airlines flight traveling from Houston, Texas, to Ronald Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X.

All other flights were suspended while the plane was moved to an isolated area of ​​the airfield and passengers disembarked and were transported by bus to the terminal, according to a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson.

A United Airlines spokesperson referred all questions to the FBI.

All airport operations resumed around 1:30 p.m. ET, according to Duffy, who thanked law enforcement for their quick response.

Before flights resumed, the average delay time for flights departing from the airport was 51 minutes as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Authority. The maximum delay was more than two hours.

Flight delays across the country are on the rise as the federal government enters its second month of shutdown, forcing air traffic controllers to work without pay.

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Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo contributed reporting from Washington, DC.