Airlines offering vouchers, new flights for passengers impacted by airport delays during Army parade in DC

CNN

a day ago

Passengers flying through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Saturday will experience delays as the Army celebrates its 250th birthday with a parade and flyover in Washington, DC.
The celebration, which coincides with President Donald Trump's birthday, will impact vehicle and airline traffic. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will issue temporary flight restrictions for the Washington area during the celebration, which begins with a parade at 6:30 p.m. and ends with fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 65 flights are scheduled to arrive at Reagan airport in Northern Virginia and 39 are scheduled to depart, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.
The airport is accommodating for the military flyovers along the parade route and a fireworks display, according to its website. The FAA is working with the Department of Defense to finalize a flyover plan, which will detail the aircraft involved.
'The FAA will implement traffic management initiatives at DCA before, during, and after the event to ensure safety and will facilitate a return to normal operations once the event concludes,' the agency said in a statement. 'During the peak of the celebration, the TMI stops all arrivals and departures.'
United Airlines told CNN it is offering a travel waiver for Reagan flyers and is adding two additional departures and two arrivals at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia as an alternative.
Delta Air Lines has a fare-difference waiver for passengers who want to move their booked travel to another day.
Southwest Airlines said passengers on the approximately 20 scheduled flights can anticipate some delays, but it is planning for no cancellations. There is also a travel waiver in place for Southwest flyers.
Alaska Airlines' exposure is fairly limited during the celebration window, and the airline canceled one flight to San Francisco International Airport and rebooked it to Dulles. It estimates the three flights scheduled during the time frame to be delayed for an hour.
The hold on airport traffic comes after the January midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk military helicopter. The crash, which killed 67 people, led to a ban on helicopter traffic on a four-mile stretch over the Potomac River.