Next Saturday there is going to be a big parade in Washington D.C. The parade is to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States Army. It also happens to be the same day as President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. Unsurprisingly, this is going to cause some disruptions to the airspace around Washington D.C.
Expect Delays at Reagan National Airport During the Parade
In addition to the parade on the ground that will feature tanks, marching bands, and military troops, it is expected that there will be multiple flyovers (including 50 army helicopters) along with a large fireworks display.
This no doubt will cause major disruption in one of the most congested pieces of airspace in the country. It is also one of if not the most scrutinized after a crash between an Army Blackhawk helicopter and American Eagle CRJ-700 clamed the lives of 67 people earlier this year. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is expected to feel the brunt of the delays given its proximity to the festivities.
According to the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to suspend airline operations at DCA – affecting scheduled flights. Customers with flight reservations for the evening of June 14 should check the status of their flights directly with their airline. The airport also notes that there will be significant road closures around the airport and suggests passengers use Metrorail to get to and from the airport.
Over 100 Flights Could be Impacted
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.
While these impacts are being broadly reported in the news media, it appears that airlines are remaining silent at this point. I have a friend scheduled to fly from New Orleans to DCA on a flight scheduled to land during the disruption period.
At the time of publication he hasn’t heard anything from the airline regarding the parade and what effect any closures would have on his flight. It appears that given the fluidity of the situation at this time, they haven’t yet made a decision on how to proceed.
Summary
A parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States Army will occur on Saturday, June 14 from 6:30-9:30p. Given the logistics of this event, expect airline operations to be significantly disrupted on Saturday evening. Some reports are showing that flights could be held at their origin for up to three hours while operations at Reagan National are suspended.
What a waste of taxpayers money especially now that the budget process is going on, give that money to the troops not to a ego. Disclaimer I voted for Trump