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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.]] Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia is the closest commercial Airport to Washington, D.C. Originally Washington National Airport, it was renamed after former President Ronald Reagan in 1998 . Its original name remains on the stone facade of the historic terminal (Terminal A), and it is still widely known as "National" or "Washington National" (particularly in the D.C. area), although the formulation "Reagan National" or just "Reagan" has gained currency. It is a focus city for , which includes the Bahamas (Nassau), Bermuda , Toronto , and Montreal . 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. Captain John Alexander built a mansion called "Abingdon" on the site in 1746. A descendent, Philip Alexander, donated most of the land on which the City of Alexandria was built, and it was so named in his honor. Abingdon Mansion was purchased in 1778 by John Parke Custis, and was the birthplace of Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis, stepdaughter of President George Washington. Abingdon was destroyed by fire in 1930. In 1998, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority preserved the site and housed artifacts found there in the Exhibit Hall, located in Terminal A. Airport facilities in Washington, D.C., had long been seriously inadequate early in the 20th Century. Hoover Field , located near the present site of the Pentagon, was the first major terminal to be developed in the Capital area, opening its doors in 1926. Hoover Field had a single runway intersected by a local street (guards had to stop Automobile traffic during takeoffs and landings). The following year, Washington Airport, another privately operated field, began service next door. In 1930, the economics of the Great Depression caused the two terminals to merge to form Washington-Hoover Airport. Bordered on the east by Highway One, with its accompanying high-tension electrical wires, and obstructed by a high smokestack on one approach and a dump nearby, the field was less than adequate. National Airport opened its doors on June 16 , 1941 . Though located in Virginia, much of the site had originally been underwater, in District of Columbia territory. A 1945 law established the airport as legally within Virginia but under the jurisdiction of Congress . Rapid growth in air traffic led to the construction of runway extensions in 1950 and 1955 . The runway layout—limited due to the location and orientation of the airport—has otherwise changed little, except for the 1956 closure of a fourth, east-west runway now used for taxiing and aircraft parking. The terminal building was supplemented by the completion of the North Terminal in 1958 ; the two were connected in 1961 . Despite the expansions, several efforts have been made to restrict the growth of the airport. Concerns about Aviation Noise led to the imposition of noise restrictions even before jet service began in 1966. Meanwhile, the advent of Jet Aircraft as well as traffic growth led Congress to pass the Washington Airport Act of 1950, which resulted in the opening of Dulles Airport in 1962 . To control congestion and drive traffic to alternative airports, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed landing slot and perimeter restrictions on National and four other high-density airports in 1969 . Service to the airport's dedicated Metro Station began in 1977 . On the afternoon of January 13 , 1982 , following a period of exceptionally cold weather and a morning of blizzard conditions, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed after waiting forty-nine minutes on a taxiway and taking off with ice and snow on the wings. The Boeing 737 aircraft failed to gain altitude. Less than a mile from the end of the runway, the airplane struck the 14th Street Bridge complex, shearing the tops off vehicles stuck in traffic before plunging through the one-inch thick ice covering the Potomac River . Rescue responses were greatly hampered by the weather and traffic. Due to heroic actions initiated by a number of motorists, a United States Park Service police helicopter crew, and one of the plane's passengers who perished, 5 occupants of the downed plane survived. However, 74 persons who had been aboard the doomed airplane and 4 occupants of vehicles on the bridge died. The federal government relinquished control of National Airport as well as Dulles in has continued to intervene in the management of the airports, however. On February 6 , 1998 , President Bill Clinton signed legislation changing the airport's name from National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, to honor the former president on his 87th birthday—a decision made without input from area residents. Indeed, the Washington Metro system initially resisted renaming its station serving the airport, citing a policy adopted in 1987 that states that groups seeking to rename a station were required to pay the cost of replacing signage. Arlington County, which would have been responsible for funding the name change, declined. Congress responded by threatening the system with budget cuts. Metro ultimately renamed the station, at its own expense. Similarly, Senator John McCain of Arizona introduced legislation in 1999 to remove the 1250-mile perimeter restriction, infuriating local residents concerned about noise and traffic from increased service by larger, long-haul aircraft. McCain argued the move would improve competition, while critics charged he was supporting the interests of Phoenix, Arizona -based America West Airlines (AWA). In the end the restriction remained, but the FAA was permitted to add additional exemptions, which went not to AWA but to competitor Alaska Airlines . The airport underwent an extensive renovation and expansion in the 1990s , with the new terminals B and C opening on July 27 , 1997 . Argentine Architect Cesar Pelli designed the new terminals of the 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. SAFETY AND SECURITY CONCERNS Because of its proximity to central Washington, the airport has been subject to special security procedures for many years. Before 2001, the most notable of these was the southbound approach into the airport. Most of central Washington is and follow a path which does not go over either the White House or The Pentagon . When Reagan reopened after the September 11, 2001 Attacks , it was subjected to much stricter security measures. Aircraft of more than 156 seats were banned, and the River Visual approach was banned until mid-2002. In addition, Private Planes were no longer allowed access to the airport (with rare exceptions). All of these regulations were intended to prevent Terrorist Activity similar to the September 11 attacks, when hijackers flew large aircraft into prominent buildings. On 24 hours in advance, and all planes must pass through one of 12 "gateway airports" where reinspections of aircraft, passengers, and baggage will take place. The River Visual Approach Regarded as one of the most interesting approaches in the U.S., the river visual approach was instituted due to safety and noise abatement concerns. The approach, which follows the course of the Potomac River, is only possible with a ceiling of at least 3500 feet and visibility of 3 miles or more. There is a light on the Memorial Bridge to aid pilots following the river. Aircraft using River Visual are easily spotted from the various parks on the left bank. TERMINALS, AIRLINES, AND DESTINATIONS |
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