One terminal at DCA has been open according to the Sunday edition of the Washington Post. Ironically, it is temporary unemployment office for the state of Virginia. This does not sound too good. Let's hope to hear good news by tomorrow about opening for flights.

More on DCA....
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp...fney092801.htm

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"Fly me to the moon and let me earn alot of miles."

White House Is Close to a Decision On the Future of Reagan Airport

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is nearing a decision on the future of Reagan National Airport, with several advisers and the president himself apparently favoring a reopening, but some security officials raising concerns in opposition.

The airport, located just minutes from the White House, Pentagon and Capitol Hill, got a show of support Sunday from White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, who said President Bush wanted it reopened, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who said he, too, hoped it would reopen after ground security is tightened.

"We want to do what is right rather than do it fast. And so we'll be working to address the challenge," Mr. Card said on Fox News television. "I'm confident that we can address the challenge and that Ronald Reagan Airport will be open. The question is how quickly and under what circumstances."

Even if the airport is reopened, supporters of such a move say it would probably be done gradually, with restrictions on flight patterns around the facility that sits across the Potomac River in northern Virginia. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said the administration also might require new security measures, such as stationing armed air marshals on every flight into and out of the airport.

The administration is expected to announce a decision on the airport's future as early as Tuesday. While some of President Bush's advisers, such as Mr. Mineta, have expressed support for reopening National, others may be resisting the move out of concern over the airport's proximity to vital government buildings. One such adviser, according to an administration official familiar with the discussions, is the counterterrorism chief of the National Security Council, Richard Clarke. Mr. Clarke couldn't be reached for comment.

http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/...3285324160.htm

MSNBC just reported that the President will announce plans to open DCA tomorrow. The report indicated that in addition to the security upgrades now in effect at other airports special attention would be paid to the flight paths over sensitive areas.

Anyone who regularly flys into DCA knows that it is impossible to not fly close to senstive areas on the northern approach. (The CIA and the Pentagon to the west and DC including the White House, State Department, monuments etc. to the east)

I hope that they do not think the can run all operations from the south.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/Business/Aviation_Safety/

This Post article indicates things will start up slowly, with quite limited service. Shuttles and hubs first, though no mention of which hubs.

Nor any mention if longish flights will resume.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2001Oct1.html

Thusday!!!!

Limited schedule, but gearing up on Thursday. Just announced by Bush.

According to Bush: "Ticket counters and airplanes will fly again on Thursday".

I want to see that

I guess the reason it took so long to make an announcement about DCA is that figuring out how to make those ticket counters fly needed some research.

It wasn't the flying the counters thing that needed research, but whether they would have an air marshal on board.

The Post has some info about the sloooow process to reopen DCA---but nothing on those flying ticket counters. Maybe in the late edition.

In short: the airport will be open as early as Thursday, but considering that all the staff has to be recalled and new security measures started up, there might not be much flying.

The shuttles first, followed by LIMITED flights to other hubs. Those will start when all the new security is running---which could be thursday.

read it all: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2001Oct2.html

There's also a live Q & A til 2 at:
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp...chefer1002.htm

It'll be archived, too.

This is exciting --- I welcome the flights to/from DCA and look forward to watching them from my downtown DC office!

As far as I can tell from the news, DCA security is going to cost taxpayers a bundle.

Why can't politicians travel like the rest of us -- have to drive 30 minutes to 1 hour to go to airports like JFK, ORD, DFW, LAX, SFO etc? What's so wrong with IAD and BWI, except that it's an inconvenience? And why is Meigs field in Chicago still closed?

Sorry for the rant.

I just spoke with folks at both US and CO about upcoming flights. They both indicated they may NOT be ready to fly to all locales on Thursday.

The shuttle is probably OK, but other cities may be a few days later. They've got to get the planes back to town, have to recall all the laid off workers and, the biggest deal: the upgraded security has to be in place.

I still cannot understand for the life of me the obsession of some about DCA being Congress members' airport -- like they are the only ones who use it!

I lived 3 years in MD and frequently travel to the area, and do anything that I can or need to in order avoid the crap hole that is IAD or BWI.

DCA is convenient to residents of DC and its suburbs, it's a great facility, and it should reopen to 100% or close to it -- this 24% followed by 57% is total bs.

Well, now I am ranting, so I'll stop I guess.

This is NOT about the politicians airport. They just happen to be heavy users. Get over that part. When they are either at home or in session, who are all those people flying everyday?

The flying public has been shafted with this delay. And let's get real, it is not really open yet. All these new rules. Like one carry on - what good does that do? Or lots of ID checking - better get your fake ones. Or special crews that must fly these planes, or special security at the other end. Only a few airports can even send flights there.

This is overkill. I have thought very highly of our leader...until he let this happen. I had thought all along that he was busy with other things and the spineless gov't types were running scared and that once George W. stepped in, all would be fine.

The Government has just come out and told America that the airports are not safe.

By the way, I think they are as safe as you can expect right now, and have taken 6 flights since this thing started.