Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
satellite image of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, taken April 26, 2002. Its runways end mere feet from the
Potomac River. The highrises of
Crystal City are visible in the upper left corner of the image.]]\n
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.
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.
History
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, 1941.
The federal government relinquished control of National as well as Washington Dulles International Airport in 1987, when President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that created the independent Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
In 1998, 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.
Terminals
The old Terminal A is currently being renovated and has only nine gates. Terminal B/C, opened in 1997 has thirty-five gates with check-in and baggage claim.
Terminal A
\n* Gates 1-9\n** Alaska Airlines\n** American Trans Air\n** Midwest Airlines\n** Northwest Airlines
Check-in and baggage claim for Terminal A are located in Terminal B.
Terminal B
\n* Gates 10-22\n** America West\n** America West Express\n** Atlantic Southeast Airlines dba Delta Connection\n** Comair dba Delta Connection\n** Continental Airlines\n** Continental Express\n** Delta Air Lines\n** Delta Shuttle\n** Frontier Airlines\n* Gates 23-34\n** American Airlines\n** American Eagle\n** Trans States Airlines dba American Connection
Terminal C
\n* Gates 23-34\n** Air Canada\n** United Airlines\n** US Airways\n* Gates 35-45\n** Allegheny Airlines dba US Airways Express\n** Chautauqua Airlines dba US Airways Express\n** Mesa Airlines dba US Airways Express\n** Piedmont Airlines dba US Airways Express\n** PSA Airlines dba US Airways Express\n** US Airways
Transportation
\nNational Airport has a Washington Metro stop, on the Yellow and Blue lines.
External Links
\n* Washington National Homepage
Category:Airports of Virginia\nCategory:Airports of Washington, DC
