1 day Ago By Gaurav Joshi
With the winter season in full swing, several airports in the United States are preparing to deal with inclement weather, including heavy snowfall. It’s important to prevent icy conditions on the runways as that can be dangerous for aircraft movement on the slippery surface. It has emerged that Washington Reagan Airport closed its runways on Monday evening to clear off snow from the surface and has advised passengers to check with their airlines before arriving.
Washington Reagan Airport closes runways Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) closed all its runways on Monday evening, citing icy conditions and snow. The area is experiencing inclement weather, with heavy snow accumulation on the airport’s runways, which need to be cleared. The airport first posted on X about its team being busy keeping the runways clear.
It even advised passengers to check with their airlines for possible flight disruptions before arriving at the airport. However, it later updated the post, saying that all runways were being closed Monday evening to focus on snow removal and prevent refreezing on the airfield. According to DC News Now , hundreds of flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as well as Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) were canceled or delayed all through Monday due to tricky weather in the region.
Challenges with ice There are several factors that can limit airport operations. Inclement weather, including severe rain and snowstorms, can also hamper an airport’s ability to carry out flights smoothly. Several airports in the United States that face snowy conditions during the peak of the winter months prepare for such conditions.
For example, Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania applies tons of fine sand on its four runways to gain traction during icy conditions. The airport stores more than 1,000 tons of fine sand at its sand dome on the east side of the airfield and applies it to taxiways and runways to retain the necessary traction for aircraft. Simple Flying has previously quoted Jim Moorhead, the director of airport operations at PIT, as saying, “We apply sand to the airfield for traction for ice and snow control in the winter.
Salt causes too much damage to the aircraft, the aircraft engines, and the parts with aircraft, so it’s not permitted on any airfield.” More on this can be read in the following article. Salt on runways can damage the aircraft and engines.
Indeed, it is vital for airports to maintain clear runways and taxiways during winter to prevent airplanes from skidding off. In January 2023, an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia slid off the taxiway in Portland upon arrival , resulting in the passengers and crew being extricated by bus to the terminal. Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying.
In 2019, an American Eagle flight landed at Chicago O’Hare Airport amid snowy and icy conditions and skidded across the runway and off to the side when the pilots applied the brakes. The incident was caught on video by one of the passengers. Other DCA news Washington DC’s Reagan National Airport has been in the news lately for several reasons.
Last month, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) gave its final approval to the five new daily roundtrip slots at the airport. The final list comprised Alaska Airlines (San Diego), American Airlines (San Antonio), Southwest Airlines (Las Vegas), Delta Air Lines (Seattle), and United Airlines (San Francisco). The DOT carefully chose these routes, considering how they impacted competition.
For example, the launch of the service to Seattle by Delta Air Lines will break Alaska Airlines’ monopoly on this route and will also help Delta connect Washington National Airport with all of its US hubs. All airlines have to start their proposed services latest by March 17. In December, it was also reported that Washington National Airport was on track to break the record number of firearms captured at security checkpoints.
Simple Flying has covered this in detail in the article below. The airport could break an undesirable record..
