Armored tanks arrive in DC for Trump’s military birthday parade
As Washington, D.C. prepares for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, armored tanks have begun to arrive ahead of Saturday’s celebration.
- Reagan National Airport (DCA) will close for approximately three and a half hours during the military parade.
- The closure, affecting arrivals and departures, will occur from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.
- Several airlines have issued waivers for affected passengers to rebook flights.
As Washington gears up for the military parade this weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration clarified the flight restrictions that will be imposed around the city to accommodate its aerial displays.
The agency previously announced that Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport would be temporarily closed, but initially did not say for how long. Now, the FAA says the closure is expected to last about three and a half hours.
“The FAA will implement traffic management initiatives (TMI) at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) before, during, and after the event to ensure safety and will facilitate a return to normal operations once the event concludes,” the agency said in a statement. “During the peak of the celebration, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, the TMI stops all arrivals and departures at DCA.”
Airlines had previously said they expect fairly minimal impacts to their schedules, but American, Delta, Southwest, United and Alaska have all issued waivers to give passengers whose flights may be affected the flexibility to rebook.
Travel demand holds steady
As the city prepares for thousands of people to arrive for the event, travel demand during the time period remains static. Platforms Cirium and HotelPlanner report no significant jump in bookings to Washington this weekend.
However, travel interest to the nation’s capital is up. This past week, Skyscanner found Washington, D.C., to be the most searched domestic destination by American travelers for flights on Thursday and Friday. “While Skyscanner’s data is anonymous, we can’t say for sure the increase in searches is due to the military parade but it is possible the rising increase in searches is due to the parade announcement on June 6,” a Skyscanner spokesperson told USA TODAY in an email.
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How much are flights to Washington for the parade?
Below are one-way flight deals to Washington from major U.S. cities with a departure date of Friday, according to Skyscanner data:
