Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ronald Reagan
Washington National Airport
Washington national airport.jpg
Characteristics
ICAO code KDCA
IATA code DCA
Coordinates

38 ° 51 ′ 7 ″  N , 77 ° 2 ′ 16 ″  W Coordinates: 38 ° 51 ′ 7 ″  N , 77 ° 2 ′ 16 ″  W
Height above MSL 5 m (16  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center 3 miles south of Washington, DC
Street I-395 / US 1st
Local transport Subway
Blue line Yellow line
Basic data
opening June 16, 1941
operator Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
surface 348 ha
Terminals A; B; C.
Passengers 23,464,618 (2018)
Air freight 2,336 t (2018)
Flight
movements 		293,827 (2018)
Runways
01/19 2094 m × 46 m asphalt
04/22 1497 m × 46 m asphalt
15/33 1586 m × 46 m asphalt



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The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport five kilometers south of downtown Washington, DC in Arlington County , USA . It is the closest commercial airport to Washington. Its original name was Washington National Airport , but it was renamed in 1998 after former President Ronald Reagan . Colloquially it is called "National", "Washington National", "Reagan" or "Reagan National". The IATA airport code is "DCA".

There is an air shuttle service airline to the airports La Guardia in New York City and Logan International Airport in Boston . With a few exceptions, there are only flights to destinations a maximum of 2012 km (1250 mi ) away in order to contain aircraft noise and direct more air traffic to the larger Washington Dulles International Airport , which is further from the center . In 2017, around 23.9 million passengers used the airport. Since he does not have a branch of the customs and immigration authorities , international flights are only allowed to land on the condition that these formalities have already been carried out before departure. Possible departure airports are therefore limited, for example, to Nassau in the Bahamas , Bermuda , Shannon in Ireland , and several airports in Canada .

Transport links

  • Washington Metro : The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Stationis located on an elevated, covered outdoor platform and is connected to the airport concourse level. The trains of the yellow and blue lines hold it.
  • Taxi: Taxis from the airport to Virginia use meters ; Taxis in the District of Columbia use the DC Taxicab Commission's zoning system , and there is an interstate surcharge, which means a ride into central Washington costs about $ 10-20.
  • Airport Shuttle: Various companies offer a door-to-door service.
  • Road: The airport is located on George Washington Memorial Parkway and has connections to US Route 1 through the Airport Viaduct ( State Route 233 ). The Interstate 395 is located north of the airport and is on the GW Parkway and US Route 1 can be achieved.

history

The Washington National Airport was commissioned by the American government in the years 1940-1941 by John McShain on the sandy shore of the Potomac River at Gravelly Point, five kilometers south of Washington DC, built.

In 1746 Captain John Alexander built a mansion called "Abingdon" on this site. His descendant, Philip Alexander, gave the place Alexandria a large part of its area, which is why the place was named after him. The Arbington House was purchased by John Parke Custis in 1778 and was the birthplace of Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis , the step-granddaughter of President George Washington . It fell victim to a fire in 1930. In 1998, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority excavated the site where the mansion once stood and has since shown pieces found there in the exhibition hall in Terminal A.

At the beginning of the 20th century, air travel in the greater Washington DC area was very restricted. Hoover Field , located near the current Pentagon site , was the first major terminal in the area and opened in 1926. However, the only runway of this airport was crossed by a road, so guards had to stop traffic during take-offs and landings.

In the year Hoover Field opened, another private airport, Washington Airport, opened in the vicinity. Both airports had to be merged to form Washington-Hoover Airport in 1930 due to the Great Depression. However, the location of the airport was very disadvantageous due to the US-1 road adjacent to the east and its accompanying high-voltage pylons as well as a high chimney in the approach corridor and a nearby garbage dump.

The National Airport began operations on June 16, 1941. Although now in Virginia, much of the area was once below water in the District of Columbia. A 1945 law made the airport located in the state of Virginia but under the administration of Congress.

Due to strong growth in air traffic, the runway was expanded in 1950 and 1955. The orientation of the runways is limited by the location of the airport. Only the fourth runway, running in an east-west direction, was converted into a taxiway and parking lot after it was closed in 1956. The north terminal, completed in 1958, supplemented the existing terminal building. Both terminals were connected to each other in 1961.

Despite the expansions, some effort has been made to limit the airport's growth. The advent of jet-powered aircraft, as well as the increase in traffic, led Congress to pass the Washington Airport Act in 1950, which opened Dulles Airport in 1962. Due to concerns about aircraft noise, noise control measures were taken even before the introduction of jet engines in 1966. To avoid traffic jams and direct more traffic to alternative airports, the Federal Aviation Administration limited the number of landings in 1969 and introduced flight space restrictions at Ronald Reagan National Airport and four other high-traffic airports.

The airport is connected to the Washington DC metro network. The airport's metro station went into operation in 1977. Originally, the train station was not directly connected to the terminals, but pedestrian bridges now connect it to Terminals B and C.

Renaming of the airport

In 1987, the US government passed control of Dulles and National Airports to the independent Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, newly established by President Ronald Reagan through a corresponding law . Despite this law, the US Congress continued to interfere in the administration of the airports. On February 6, 1998, the name of the airport was renamed from Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the orders of President Bill Clinton to honor former President Reagan on his 87th birthday. This decision was made without consulting local residents.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMTATA) initially refused to rename the metro station belonging to the airport, referring to a 1987 agreement that anyone who wants to rename a stop is also responsible for all costs of the changed Signs have to come up. However, the Arlington County, which would have been responsible for paying these costs, refused. The Congress then threatened the transport authority with budget cuts. The Washington Metro then changed the name at its own expense.

Extensions

Due to the expansion of air traffic and due to the limited space in the aging main terminal, the airport began intensive renovation and expansion measures in the 1990s. Hangar 11 at the north end of the airport was converted into an interim terminal for the airlines USAir and Delta Air Lines in 1989 . This freed a number of gates in the main terminal until the new terminal complex opened. This new complex, designed by the Argentine architect Cesar Pelli , consisting of Terminals B and C and two parks, opened on July 27, 1997. Immediately after the opening, the interim terminal was closed and converted back into a hangar. One gate of the main terminal, which had now become Terminal A and was mainly used by American Airlines , was demolished, while the other gates are still used today as Gates 1-9.

Airport security

The River Visual approach is considered to be one of the most interesting approach routes in the United States

Since the airport is very close to the buildings of many federal agencies, such as the White House , the Capitol , the Washington Monument and the Pentagon , the operation of the airport was subject to high security measures from the outset.

Before the September 11, 2001 attacks, the most noticeable security measure was the southern approach to the airport. Most of Washington's airspace is closed to an altitude of 18,000 feet. Therefore, approaching pilots from the north must follow the course of the Potomac and make a steep turn just before landing on the southward runway. This landing approach is known as the River Visual and is considered to be one of the most challenging landing approaches in the world. For the same reason, aircraft taking off in a northerly direction have to gain altitude very quickly and make a steep left turn in order to avoid contact with the closed airspace over the Washington Monument, the White House or the Pentagon.

After the attacks, the airport was closed for several weeks and was reopened with extremely tightened security measures. The following measures have been taken:

  • Ban on aircraft with more than 156 seats (lifted in April 2002)
  • Ban on River Visual landing approaches (was lifted again in April 2002)
  • Passengers had to remain seated for 30 minutes before landing and after taking off; if someone did get up, the plane was inevitably rerouted to another airport with a military escort and the person in question was taken into custody and interrogated by officials (was lifted again in July 2005)
  • Prohibition of general aviation (was lifted in October 2005 if the regulations below are observed)

On October 18, 2005, the airport was reopened for general aviation. The restrictions consisted, for example, of allowing a maximum of 48 flight movements per day.

The River Visual approach for landing

The River Visual approach is considered to be one of the most interesting approach routes in the United States. It was introduced for safety and noise protection reasons. This Potomac-following approach on runway 19 can only be made when the cloud height is at least 3,500 feet and visibility is at least 4.8 km (3 miles). There is a navigation light on the Arlington Memorial Bridge to assist pilots using this approach . Approaching aircraft can be observed from various parks on the western side of the Potomac. Passengers on the left of the aircraft have a view of the Capitol, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial , the National Mall and the White House, while passengers on the right have a view of the CIA Headquarters , the National Cemetery of Arlington, the Pentagon, and the United States Air Force Memorial .

Limitation of the catchment area

The airport is subject to a state-imposed catchment area restriction and, with a few exceptions, does not offer any connections to airports outside a radius of 1250 miles. The US Department of Transportation has issued exemption permits for 24 flight movements per day, which allow certain airlines to offer twelve daily connections to destinations outside the limit. These exceptions are:

In 1999, then-Senator from Arizona , John McCain , suggested that the limit be lifted, causing anger from local residents who feared increased noise from the larger long-haul aircraft. His main argument was to improve the competitive situation, while critics of the proposal accused him of only pursuing the interests of America West Airlines (AWA) based in Phoenix, Arizona . The proposal ultimately failed, but the FAA was allowed to grant further exemptions, which initially benefited not AWA, but its competitor Alaska Airlines. However, in 2004 the AWA also received further exemption permits for non-stop connections to Phoenix.

Terminals, Airlines and Destinations

Direct destinations from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Runway layout at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Terminal A (Gates 1–9)

Terminal A opened in 1941 and expanded in 1955. It was renovated from 2004 to 2014 to restore the original architecture.

Terminals B and C

Terminals B and C opened in 1997, replacing a number of airline-specific terminals from the 1960s. The terminals were designed by the architect Cesar Pelli and contain 35 gates. Gate 13 does not exist out of superstition .

Terminal B (Gates 10-22 - Gate 1)

Terminal B (Gates 23-34 - Gate 2)

Terminal C (Gates 35-45 - Gate 3)

Traffic figures

Source: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Source: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Source: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport traffic figures 1941–2018
year Passenger volume Air freight ( tons ) Airmail (tons) Aircraft movements
(with military)
2018 23,464,618 1,843 493 293,827
2017 23.903.248 2.162 668 293,299
2016 23,600,177 1,905 68 295.158
2015 23,039,429 2,555 192 292,676
2014 20.810.387 1,783 338 283.180
2013 20,415,085 1,847 56 292,656
2012 19,655,440 5,960 7th 288.176
2011 18,823,094 6.261 4th 281,770
2010 18,118,713 6,577 3 271.097
2009 17,577,359 5,806 5 272.146
2008 18,028,287 3,307 14th 277.298
2007 18,679,343 2,219 296 275,433
2006 18,550,785 2,705 907 276.419
2005 17,847,884 2,593 1,376 276.056
2004 15,944,542 2,707 2,366 268,576
2003 14.223.123 3,070 2,705 250,802
2002 12,881,601 2,726 3.137 215.691
2001 13,265,387 5,423 19,767 244.008
2000 15.888.199 7,977 29,762 297,879
1999 15.185.348 9,966 27,773 291,765
1998 15.970.306 9,880 33,525 297.093
1997 15,907,006 11,265 36,979 304,636
1996 15,226,500 12,591 38,426 298.086
1995 15.506.244 13,464 38,375 304,876
1994 15,700,825 14,620 43,628 306,529
1993 16,307,808 14,788 42,684 312,346
1992 15,593,535 15.001 45,673 301,668
1991 15,098,697 14,372 45,072 292,926
1990 15,805,496 14,746 46,485 313,740
1989 15.385.240 13,774 46,475 311.207
1988 16,014,585 16.405 47,998 322,403
1987 15,703,410 15,689 44,294 321.182
1986 14,544,523 15,357 42,494 319.711
1985 14,690,471 19,137 46,021 306.354
1984 14,842,922 16,933 47,250 337,538
1983 14,461,437 16,882 44,825 334.431
1982 13,321,098 17,707 45,000 307.377
1981 14,175,058 20.183 45,735 337.132
1980 14,540,089 25,549 47,840 352.166
1979 15.134.017 34,404 44,424 352.904
1978 14,176,233 38,595 43,403 352.044
1977 13.258.200 37,799 39,342 345,452
1976 12,336,534 37,799 37,944 326.083
1975 11,369,061 34,714 35,062 306.494
1974 11,706,028 45,919 36,220 312.216
1973 11,715,578 51,887 38,054 339.904
1972 11,121,965 48,955 37,304 331.429
1971 10,377,308 44,017 34,070 329,972
1970 9,768,375 45.223 31,329 319,449
1969 10,247,537 45,568 30,038 337.084
1968 9,968,015 45,299 29,591 346.417
1967 9,383,352 44,756 25,046 334.630
1966 7,919,955 42,570 19,852 312,494
1965 6,951,845 38,479 18,676 309,562
1964 6,188,292 30,852 15,628 289.740
1963 5,464,010 27,669 16,854 294,797
1962 4,837,166 26,207 17.163 280.831
1961 4,646,154 22,826 17,158 290,339
1960 4,725,605 20,963 15,338 292,146
1959 5,005,746 18,882 13,776 309.340
1958 4,533,623 17,068 12,067 280,842
1957 4,463,227 16,049 10,958 276.717
1956 3,964,113 16,060 10,576 257,762
1955 3,634,951 14,493 10.169 225.914
1954 3,102,875 11,067 9,337 202,573
1953 2,720,024 11,062 7,703 195,649
1952 2,492,354 - - 184,460
1951 2,458,717 - - 186,747
1950 1,629,723 - - 148,748
1949 1,386,887 - - 165.033
1948 1,186,676 - - 160.352
1947 1,140,945 - - 159,690
1946 1,230,480 - - 180,690
1945 756,537 - - 152.067
1944 557.145 - - 107,315
1943 360.563 - - 93,086
1942 459.396 - - 77,348
1941 344.257 - - 43,060
  1. ↑ Passenger traffic includes general aviation and military

Busiest routes

Busiest national routes from Washington – National (2018)
rank city Passengers airline
01 Atlanta , Georgia 836.890 American Eagle , Delta , Southwest
02 Chicago-O'Hare , Illinois 794.630 American / American Eagle, United / United Express
03 Boston , Massachusetts 708.710 American, JetBlue
04th Dallas / Fort Worth , Texas 444.010 American
05 Orlando , Florida 436.330 American, Delta Connection , JetBlue, Southwest
06th Miami , Florida 423.970 American, Delta Connection
07th Charlotte , North Carolina 339.810 American / American Eagle
08th New York – LaGuardia , New York 318,640 American, Delta
09 Detroit , Michigan 291,800 American Eagle, Delta
10 Minneapolis / Saint Paul , Minnesota 287.720 American Eagle, Delta / Delta Connection

Incidents

Accident on Air Florida Flight 90

NTSB reconstruction of flight path Air Florida 90

On the afternoon of January 13, 1982, the plane on Air Florida Flight 90 crashed after waiting 49 minutes in extremely cold and snowy weather on the taxiway and taking off with icy and snow-covered wings. The Boeing 737 aircraft did not manage to climb after taking off, so that it collided with the 14th Street bridge about a kilometer past the end of the runway. During the overflight, the machine sheared off the roofs of vehicles stuck on the bridge before breaking through the three centimeters thick ice on the Potomac. The use of the rescue workers was severely hampered by traffic and weather conditions. Only with the help of a few drivers, a helicopter crew from the United States Park Service Police Unit and one of the passengers on the plane, who could no longer be rescued himself and who drowned with the sinking machine, could five survivors of the crash be rescued. The remaining 74 occupants of the aircraft were killed as well as 4 occupants of vehicles on the bridge.

The analysis of the accident shows how a routine that is believed to be safely mastered can become a trap if environmental conditions have changed or unexpected stimuli arise. The first officer read the checklist before take-off and asked about the status of the de-icing system, among many other points. The captain routinely and truthfully replied off . Neither he nor the first officer - both had only made a few starts in their careers outside of the always frost-free Florida - stumbled upon this system state. Although an abnormal start-up process was then indicated and the first officer expressed doubts as to its success, the routine was not broken.

Web links

Commons : Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c History of Reagan National Airport. FlyReagan.com, accessed April 13, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Airport Overview. FlyReagan.com, accessed April 16, 2017 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g Reagan Air Traffic Statistics. MWAA.com, accessed April 13, 2019 .
  4. ^ Metrorail station. FlyReagan.com, accessed April 13, 2019 .
  5. ^ A Roadblock for Reagan. WashingtonPost.com , August 5, 2005, accessed April 13, 2019 .
  6. ↑ tsa.gov ( Memento of the original from May 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tsa.gov
  7. ↑ tsa.gov ( Memento of the original from May 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tsa.gov
  8. ↑ tsa.gov ( Memento of the original from May 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tsa.gov
  9. ↑ Washington, DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA). Transtats.BTS.gov , accessed April 13, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Flight Guide. FlyReagan.com, accessed April 13, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Air-Britain Archive: Casualty compendium part 50 (English), September 1993, p. 81.
  12. ↑ Accident report DC-4 N88727 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 23, 2017.
  13. ↑ CJG Gersick, JR Hackman, Habitual Routines in Task-Performing Groups , in: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes vol. 47, pp. 65-97