FAA halts traffic at Washington DC airport after threat reported against plane

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo via Reuters

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON  -  The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday halted traffic at Reagan Washington National Airport after a reported threat against a United Airlines plane.

The FAA said operations were halted due to an unspecified security issue. The airport said operations were on hold as passengers on a United flight were being offloaded and bussed to the terminal.

A person briefed on the matter said a threat had been made against the plane and in an abundance of caution the plane was being checked.

FlightRadar24, a flight tracking site, said the issue prompted by an unconfirmed threat against a United flight that had arrived from Houston.

The plan was moved away from other aircraft at the airport and law enforcement vehicles were seen near the plane, according to social media posts. The FAA and United did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

More than 120 flights have already been delayed at Reagan, according to FlightAware.

 (Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul // REUTERS)