A suspicious package found at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC prompted authorities to evacuate part of the terminal on Thursday morning (March 12) before officials later declared the area safe.
Airport authorities said passengers were temporarily moved out of Concourse D in Terminal 2 after the item was found in a break room, triggering a security response.
Suspicious package discovered
According to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the package was located around 9 am inside a break room at the airport.
Crystal Nosal, a spokesperson for the authority, said police quickly responded to secure the area.
Airport officials also shared updates on social media about the situation.
“Around 9 am, a suspicious package was located in a break room. The Airports Authority police established a perimeter for safety until the item can be cleared, that included moving passengers out of the D Concourse,” the airport wrote in a post on X.
Authorities issue all clear
Emergency responders later examined the item and declared the area safe.
“The item was cleared around 10:20 am by the Arlington County Fire Department. Airport operations are returning to normal,” the airport said in an update.
Officials confirmed that the all-clear was issued around 10:30 am, allowing passengers to return to the concourse.
Passengers urged to check flight details
Following the security scare, airport officials advised travelers to confirm their flight information with airlines.
“Passengers are urged to reconfirm flight times and gate assignments with their airline,” the airport said.
Concourse D in Terminal 2 primarily serves flights operated by American Airlines.
Flight delays reported
Flight tracking data from FlightAware showed that more than 100 flights arriving at or departing from the airport were delayed on Thursday morning. However, it remains unclear how many of the delays were directly linked to the evacuation.
Authorities have not released details about the contents of the package or what prompted the security alert.
Incident comes amid federal shutdown concerns
The disruption occurred as employees of the Transportation Security Administration are working without paychecks due to a partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.
