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Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia is the closest commercial airport to Washington, D.C. Its IATA Airport Code is DCA. It is named after Ronald Reagan, former United States President, and, by extension George Washington.
Because of limited gate availability and local noise limitations, almost all flights are to destinations within 2000 km (1250 miles). Notable are the US Airways Shuttle and Delta Shuttle hourly flights to New York City and Boston, which are a favorite of federal officials and of those who have business with the federal government.
Washington National Airport was built by the federal government on mudflats alongside the Potomac River at Gravelly Point, 7 km (4½ miles) south of Washington, D.C. It replaced Hoover Field, which was located near the present-day Pentagon and had a single runway intersected by a local street (guards had to stop auto traffic during takeoffs and landings). National Airport opened on June 16, 19411941 is also the title of a Steven Spielberg movie made in 1979 see 1941 (film). Events January January 6 Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms Speech in the State of the Union Address. January 10 Lend-Lease is introduced into the United St.
The federal government relinquished control of National as well as Washington Dulles International AirportWashington Dulles International Airport ( IATA airport code IAD ICAO airport code KIAD serves the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. It is named after John Foster Dulles, United States Secretary of State under Dwight D. Eisenhower. It serves as a h in 19871987 is a common year starting on Thursday. Events January January 1 Nunavut's capital changes it name to Iqaluit from Frobisher Bay. January 3 Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. January 4 An Amtrak train, when President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that created the independent Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
In 19981998 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of the Ocean''. Events January January 1998 A massive ice storm, caused by El Nino, strikes New England, southern Ontario and Quebec, resulting, the airport's name was changed from Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Its original name remains on the stone façade of the main terminal, and it is still widely known as "National Airport".
Prior to the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, the airport had 792 scheduled commercial flights a day. After the attacks the airport was closed for several weeks, and additional security procedures remain in place for flights into and out of DCA.
Because of its proximity to central Washington, National Airport has been subject to special security procedures for many years. Before 2001, the most notable of these was the southbound approach into the airport. Most of central Washington is restricted airspace up to 18,000 feet: in order to land on National's southbound runway, pilots had to follow the path of the Potomac River and make a steep turn shortly before landing, in a procedure called the "River Visual." Employees in high-rise buildings nearby often claimed that they could see passengers' faces in the windows of airplanes flying by.
When National reopened after September 11, it was subjected to much stricter security measures. Passengers must now remain seated for 30 minutes after takeoff from National, and also for 30 minutes before landing at National. The River Visual approach was also banned until mid-2002. A law was also passed banning aircraft of more than 156 seats at National. All of these regulations were intended to prevent terrorist activity similar to the September 11 attacks, when hijackers flew large aircraft into prominent buildings.