Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
IATA: DCA ICAO: KDCA FAA LID: DCA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Operator	Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Serves	Washington Metropolitan Area
Location	Arlington County, Virginia
Elevation AMSL	15 ft / 5 m
Website	http://mwaa.com/reagan/reagan.htm
Maps
FAA airport diagram
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Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 1/19 6,869 2,094 Asphalt 4/22 4,911 1,497 Asphalt 15/33 5,204 1,586 Asphalt
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA, FAA LID: DCA) is a busy airport close to Washington, D.C.. It is located in Arlington County, Virginia. This airport is the closest one to the nation's capital. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) manages and runs the airport. It is named after Ronald Reagan, who was the 40th President of the United States.

Flights going to or from DCA usually cannot travel further than 1,250 miles (2,010 km). This rule helps limit the number of aircraft flying over Washington. Because of this, most longer flights go to the Washington Dulles International Airport, which is bigger and further away. There are a few exceptions to this rule. In 2010, about 18.1 million passengers used the airport. Reagan National is a main hub for American Airlines, which is the airport's largest airline. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines offer special "shuttle" flights. These flights go to LaGuardia Airport in New York City and Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. These shuttle flights leave about once every hour.

History of the Airport

Early Airports in Washington

The first big airport in the Washington area was Hoover Field. It opened in 1926 near where the Pentagon is today. This airport had only one runway. It even crossed a local street! People had to stop cars when planes were taking off or landing.

The next year, Washington Airport opened right next to Hoover Field. It was also a privately run airport. In 1930, during the Great Depression in the United States, these two airports joined. They became Washington-Hoover Airport. This airport was not ideal. One side was next to a busy highway with electrical wires. There was also a tall smokestack near a runway. Even a dump was very close to the airport.

Building a New Airport

Between 1926 and 1938, many studies showed that Washington needed a better airport. But a law stopped the federal government from building airports. In 1938, Congress changed this law.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt used his power to spend $15 million to build a new airport. He used money that was meant for other projects. Building Washington National Airport started in 1940 and 1941. It was built by a company led by John McShain. Some in Congress thought what President Roosevelt did was not legal. But this did not stop the airport from being built.

Location and Opening

The airport is southwest of Washington, D.C. The eastern part of the airport was created by filling in land from the Potomac River. The western part was once a large Virginia plantation. For many years, the old plantation house was near the airport parking lot. The house later burned down, and only small parts of it remain.

The airport officially opened on June 16, 1941. In 1945, Congress passed a law. It said the airport was in Virginia but would be controlled by the federal government. By April 1957, the airport had 316 flights leaving every weekday. In 1977, the Washington Metro opened a station at the airport, making it easier to reach.

Airport Growth and Rules

Expanding the Airport Buildings

The airport's runways have not changed much because of its location. One change happened in 1956 when a fourth runway was closed. It is now used for moving and parking aircraft. The main terminal building was made larger in 1958. The North Terminal was added, and the two buildings were connected in 1961. More buildings for United Airlines and American Airlines were added in the 1960s. A special terminal for commuter flights was built in 1970.

Limiting Traffic and Noise

Even though the airport grew, there were efforts to limit its size. With more jet aircraft and traffic, Congress passed the Washington Airport Act of 1950. This led to the opening of Dulles Airport in 1962. Noise from planes also became a problem. Rules to limit noise were made even before jet planes started flying there in 1966. In 1969, the Federal Aviation Administration put limits on National Airport and four others. This was to help with high amounts of air traffic.

New Management and Name Change

Changing Control

In 1984, Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole wanted to change who controlled National and Dulles Airports. She thought it would be better for local groups to manage them instead of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This way, the money the airports made could be used to improve them. It was decided that one agency should control both airports.

In 1987, Congress gave control of the airports from the FAA to a new group. This group was called the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). However, a special Congressional panel still reviewed the MWAA's decisions. The Supreme Court later said this panel was not constitutional. Even so, Congress still has some control over the airports.

Renaming the Airport

In 1998, some people who admired Ronald Reagan wanted to name things after him in all 50 states. They wanted a law to change the airport's name to "Ronald Reagan Airport." Some members of the Democratic Congress thought it would be better to name a different building after him. They pointed out that the airport was already named after George Washington.

However, Congress decided to change the airport's name to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Because the name is so long, many people still just call it "National Airport." Congress did not provide money for new signs with the new name. So, it took some time for the new name to be used everywhere.

The airport's Metro station is still called "National Airport." In early 2001, some members of Congress asked the Metro system to change the station's name. But the Metro had a rule: if a group wants to change a station's name, they must pay for new signs and maps. This would cost about $400,000. Because of this, the name was not changed at first.

This made Republican Congressman Bob Barr from Georgia say he would not give money to the Metro system unless the station was renamed. Finally, on November 30, Congress voted to require the renaming. According to the Metro's General Manager at the time, Richard A. White, Metro ended up paying to rename the station.

Airlines at DCA

Passenger Service

Destinations with non-stop service from the airport.

An American Eagle ERJ plane leaving the airport (2006)

• Air Canada
• Air Canada Express
  • Jazz Air
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• American Eagle
• Delta Air Lines
• Delta Connection:
  • Chautauqua Airlines
  • Compass Airlines
  • Endeavour AIr
  • ExpressJet
  • Mesaba Airlines
  • Shuttle America
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Southwest Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• United Airlines
• United Express:
  • Colgan Air
  • Chautauqua Airlines
  • ExpressJet Airlines
  • Shuttle America
• Virgin America

Cargo Airlines

• FedEx Express

Images for kids

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  Terminal building in July 1941. Photo by Jack Delano.

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  Terminal in July 1941

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  Terminal from airfield (1944)

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  DCA in 1970

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  View of National Mall while taking off from National Airport

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  Control tower and Terminal 2

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  Terminal 2 from the tarmac

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  The airport with Crystal City, Arlington in the background.

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  With Washington, D.C. in the background and tracks for the Washington Metro on the left.

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  Many pilots regard the "River Visual" approach as one of the more interesting in the United States.

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  National Hall in Terminal 2

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  Interior of Terminal 1

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  Inside departure area

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Nacional Ronald Reagan de Washington para niños