WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 30, 2025 — Flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were delayed Wednesday after what authorities described as a “national security issue” led to the temporary grounding of departures.
The Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted flights while military aircraft scrambled from Joint Base Andrews in response to what officials later called an “active air defense incident” northeast of Washington. F-16 fighter jets from the D.C. Air National Guard and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter launched to investigate.
According to eyewitness accounts and live-tracking data shared online, the aircraft were airborne for a short period before returning to base. No threat was found, and normal flight operations at Reagan National resumed shortly afterward.
The D.C. Air National Guard has not released additional details about the nature of the alert, and no violations of restricted airspace have been confirmed.
