Flights to and from Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, will reportedly be suspended for an hour and a half on the evening of June 14, during a planned military parade through D.C. to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.
“To accommodate aircraft flyovers along the parade route, followed by a fireworks display, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to suspend airline operations at DCA — affecting scheduled flights,” the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said on its website.
The airports authority did not say how long flights would be suspended, but NBC News Senior Correspondent Tom Costello told WTOP a ground stop would be in effect from 7:30p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 14 — affecting roughly 116 flights, according to sources speaking to NBC News.
While the MWAA said it’s not anticipating any impacts at Dulles International Airport, Costello said he would not be surprised if the airport had to scale back operations on June 14, due to all the additional activity in the region’s airspace caused by the parade.
The event is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., with fireworks planned for 9:45 p.m. and a closing concert set to wrap up at 10 p.m.
Speaking with WTOP, Crystal Nosal, a spokesperson with MWAA, advised travelers with flights on the evening of June 14 to check the status of their trip with their airline. Nosal emphasized the airport will remain open during the event.
“We do deal with a ground delay for fireworks for 4th of July. So we took a posture of looking at how the airport reacts to that and expanded this, because the ground delay is going to be much longer, we anticipate,” Nosal said.
Nosal said the length of the ground stop and the number of flights affected is under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration, and they are communicating with the airlines.
“The FAA will make the decision on it, it does not involve the Airports Authority,” she said.
Nosal added those traveling to DCA should take Metro, as significant road closures and traffic around the airport may be more congested on the day of the parade.
The MWAA has also said event parking and fireworks viewing at the airport is strongly discouraged, as garage capacity is limited due to construction.
The parade will honor the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, but the date of the festivities also falls on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
The parade will include 6,600 soldiers, 150 military vehicles, including tanks and 50 helicopters. It will also feature a jet flyover and the Golden Knights paratroopers who will land on the Ellipse.
WTOP’s Alan Etter and Jeffery Leon contributed to this report.
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