U.S. Approves Airport for Full Reopening Next Month By Katherine Shaver Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 14, 2002; Page A01 U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced yesterday that Reagan National Airport may resume all of its pre-Sept. 11 flights next month, bringing an end to the airport's six-month struggle to reopen following the terrorist attacks. Federal transportation officials said the full reopening is possible because of increased security measures in the airport and on planes using it, including more sky marshals to monitor flights. Mineta called National a "very vital airport," saying its full reopening "makes our nationwide system of commercial air service whole once again." He said his agency is still reviewing the overland flight path north of National that has drawn noise complaints from residents on the west side of the District and in parts of Arlington, Fairfax and Montgomery counties. The department also continues to review the post-Sept. 11 bans on flights before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. and on the use of larger 757 jets and private aircraft, he said. The airport, which has been authorized for 77 percent of its full flight schedule since March 1, may resume the remaining flights April 15, bringing it back to almost 800 takeoffs and landings a day. Airport officials and terminal shop managers said they were delighted that Mineta announced the new flights in time for the busy spring and summer travel seasons. "Airports are used to being closed for a day or two in huge snowstorms," said James A. Wilding, president of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates National and Dulles International airports. "This is like a seven-month snowstorm. It's absolutely unprecedented." Some residents say they're concerned that more flights, without any change in the post-Sept. 11 overland flight path, will mean more jets roaring over their neighborhoods. Before the terrorist attacks, planes using National flew over the Potomac River to lessen noise. Since the attacks, planes arriving from and departing to the north must follow a straight-in approach, mostly over land. Melissa Kupferschmid, of Potomac, said she's frustrated that the federal government, in reopening National, didn't seem to consider the noise generated by that flight path. "Who wants to sit outside on their deck and hear the constant roar of planes?" she said. Airport officials said one coming change could bring more quiet, at least during takeoffs. Beginning Saturday, airport officials said, planes taking off to the north will cut back on their engines after three miles, or just past Rosslyn. Pilots departing to the south will cut back on engines after reaching 1,500 feet in altitude, as they did before Sept. 11. Since the airport reopened Oct. 4, pilots have been required to take off at full throttle to get their planes away from potential terrorist targets faster and to make it more difficult for passengers to get into the cockpit during takeoff. Three weeks after the federal government closed National because of the attacks, President Bush reopened it with the tightest airport security requirements in the country. The government has since allowed the airport to add flights in stages. U.S. security officials and the Secret Service had argued that the airport sits too close to the Pentagon, the White House and other potential terrorist targets. Meanwhile, as thousands of taxi drivers, hotel workers and others in the tourism industry filed for unemployment, members of Congress and local officials lobbied to have the airport reopened. "This is probably the biggest step that's occurred toward recovery," said Tom Morr, managing partner of the Greater Washington Initiative, an affiliate of the region's board of trade. "I think having limits on Washington National has been a big negative symbol. It's great to have that behind us." Even with the government allowing a full flight schedule, however, it could be a while before National gets back up to the 16 million passengers that usually pass through its terminal each year. Dick DeiTos, who represents airlines using National and Dulles, said the companies will resume flights as demand returns. He also said the airport cannot return to 100 percent of its schedule unless the government lifts the ban on flights before 7 a.m. and after 10 p.m. National had about 50 departures and landings during those hours, airport officials said. © 2002 The Washington Post Company