Air Force One Flyover for White House Halloween Party Delayed 202 Flights at Reagan National, Reuters Reports
A low flyover by the presidential airplane during a White House children's Halloween party on Thursday evening forced a temporary halt at Reagan Washington National Airport and drew complaints from D.C. lawmakers who said they received only 15 minutes' notice.
A White House flyover by the U.S. presidential airplane as part of a children's Halloween party on Thursday evening delayed dozens of flights and raised concerns in the nation's capital, Reuters reported. The plane, which is designated Air Force One when President Donald Trump is on board, made two lower-than-normal passes around the White House, which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily halt traffic at nearby Reagan Washington National Airport.
Trump was hosting a Halloween party for children when the flyover occurred, Reuters reported. The White House posted a video of the flyover on one of its social media accounts, calling it "an epic Air Force One flyover at the White House for the trick-or-treaters!"
The District of Columbia Council said in a social media post that only 15 minutes' notice was provided before the flyover "to anyone in downtown DC, at the Pentagon, or at National Airport. It startled many, including us," Reuters reported. Airline officials also said they had less than an hour's notice before the flyover, and the airplane also flew over nearby Washington neighborhoods.
Some people flying to Washington reported that their planes were forced to circle or that they faced delays due to the flyover. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, said 26 percent of departing flights and 17 percent of arriving flights were delayed on Thursday, or 202 in total, and most of those delays were tied to the airport disruption, Reuters reported.
