Runways 15/33 and 4/22 at Reagan National Airport in Washington have reopened nearly two weeks after January’s deadly midair collision, an FAA spokesperson said in a statement to AirlineGeeks.
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority – which operates the airport – also confirmed the two runways returned to service on Tuesday.
With these runways back online, the FAA says it will boost the hourly arrival rate at the airport to 28 flights. This is an increase from the 26 planned as of last week. Normally, the airport plans for a maximum of 32 arrivals per hour.
However, the agency spokesperson did note that restrictions on helicopters near the airport will remain in effect.
On Jan. 29, a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River, killing all 67 on board both aircraft. The CRJ-700 was approaching Runway 33 when the accident occurred.
While the airport’s main runway – 1/19 – is more widely used for both arrivals and departures, its shorter runways help balance traffic flow and are mostly used by smaller aircraft. Reagan National has a total of three runways.
Some higher-ranking FAA officials – including former Administrator Mike Whitaker – pushed to close Runway 4/22 following a close call between Southwest and JetBlue aircraft last year. According to CBS News, the agency temporarily halted flights on the runway following this incident.
