Earlier this week I wrote about the expected travel disruptions at at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) this coming Saturday due to a special event. The 250th birthday of the U.S. Army as well as President Donald Trump’s birthday is Saturday June 14 and a major parade is being planned. American has issued a travel waiver for Reagan National due to the expected disruption.
American Issues Travel Waiver for Reagan National due to U.S. Army Birthday Parade
The parade is expected to last between 6:30p and 9:30p local time and it is expected that the airspace around Washington D.C. will be closed during this time. Between 6:00p and 10:00p there are roughly 100 flights scheduled into or out of Reagan National, 65 arrivals and 35 departures.
Most of these flights will be on American Airlines, which operates a hub at the airport, which will cause some issues for passengers arriving, departing, or connecting at DCA. It’s expected that roughly 100 flights could be held at their departure airports during the event, though I don’t believe there is much risk for cancellations given American will need to get those planes back to DCA.
Now, as a result of the expected disruptions, American Airlines has issued a travel waiver for passengers booked on flights that may be affected by the closure of the airspace around Reagan National. According to American, passengers traveling to, through, or from DCA will have change fees waived if they:
- Are traveling on an American Airlines flight
- Are booked in any fare class, including Basic Economy
- Bought your ticket by June 5, 2025
- Are scheduled to travel June 14, 2025
- Can travel June 6 – 16, 2025
- Don’t change your origin or destination city
- Rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference
Changes must be booked by June 14, 2025 and travel must be completed within 1 year of original ticket date; difference in fare may apply. If you ticket qualifies, you can make the change in the American Airlines mobile app or call reservations for rebooking.
Summary
American Airlines has issued a travel waiver for passengers traveling to, through, or from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Saturday, June 14, 2025. The airport is expecting significant disruptions in the afternoon and evening due to airspace closures as a result of a large parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army.