Washington’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will close to honor President Trump’s birthday.
Takeoffs and landings will be suspended while the U.S. Army stages a parade on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. That’s the reason the date was chosen for the Army’s 250th birthday celebration – and it’s being commemorated with a military parade to suit the president’s preferences.
The shutdown is expected to begin about 6 p.m. on June 14th and stretch through 9:30 p.m., which should delay at least 100 flights. A fireworks finale is slated for 9:45 p.m. and with concert wrapping up near 10 p.m. Some southbound departures may be released after 8:45 p.m. if winds cooperate.
Between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. DCA is scheduled for 65 arrivals and 35 departures. The FAA predicts average delays approaching three hours; some 100 flights will be held at their origins until the airspace reopens. Southwest has flagged 20 flights, though it does not currently expect cancellations. (That could change.)
The event will include 6,600 soldiers, 150 armored and support vehicles, and 50 aircraft positioned around downtown Washington. This will include Abrams tanks, Bradleys and Strykers on the ground; Apache, Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters overhead; and vintage showpieces like a B-25 Mitchell and P-51 Mustang. The Army’s Golden Knights parachute team will jump onto the Ellipse to present a flag to the president before the fireworks show.
Shutting down National airport while Black Hawk helicopters fly, I don’t even know what to say to that. If you’re flying on the 14th, consider rebooking on alternate flights or in or out of Washington Dulles or Baltimore. Roads in and out of the airport will be problematic as well, long before the 6:30 p.m. parade start time.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s Dear Leader is said to have shot 38-under-par with 11 holes-in-one—on his very first round of golf., taking just 34 strokes to conquer Pyongyang’s championship course. Kim Jong Un is said to be “so perfect he never urinates or defecates.” He is the inventor of the hamburger (and later, the burrito). He learned to drive a car at age three, then won a yacht race at nine.
When two runways were shut down at LAX so then-President Clinton could get a haircut it was a nationwide scandal. I look forward to people who were outraged at that incident defending this one.
Imagine having to go through with the bday party after losing the love of your life. Will Elon find it in his heart to attend or will Melania be forced into attending by his side to events again?
Since you and I will be observing Shabbat it won’t affect us. Nice timing!
Luckily on June 14 I will be home enjoying the very pleasant Miami summers.
Given the proximity of DCA to the city, is there any appetite for shutting DCA to civilian traffic and making it an official airport only? IAD is a big hub and fit for the purpose of taking over DCA’s traffic.
Dictator day. Really hope for DC gets a hurricane store that day
Dillon best that the pelting rains so we can see how big the crowds are . His family Kim Jong Un and Vladimer will be attending i bet
Even the Queen of UK knew better.
I’ll be at a protest that day. Screw Trump and his self promotion. Just another waste of our tax dollars.
Ah, a birthday military parade for ‘Dear Leader’ just like in North Korea or at the Kremlin. Sorry to ‘rain on your parade.’
What’s wild is that they already know how much ‘damage’ this will cost. $45 million for the official event. $16 estimated damages to the city, roads, etc., for recklessly driving tanks on regular streets.
I feel for the troops that are having to put on this unnecessary pageant; instead of actually defending and protecting us, or simply spending a nice weekend with their families.
If a Democrat did this (or if they merely wore a ‘tan suit’) the Republicans would do another January 6 to try to stop it. Such double-standards here. If you’re still looking for ‘waste, fraud, and abuse,’ well, here it is, fellas.
@Ray — It’s so tragic. I’m gonna dehydrate because my ‘crocodile tears’ are flowing!
@Raphael — Thank you for not blaming ‘DEI’ at least.
@George Romey — Again, who is this imposter. Wait until the real ‘@George N Romey finds out about you. (I kid, I kid…) Gettin’ a bit too hot for Miami these days. Anyway, enjoy fun in the sun! (Hope that Sahara dust has moved on!)
A birthday military parade for ‘Dear Leader’ just like in North Korea or at the Kremlin.
$45 million for the official event. $16 million estimated damages to the city, roads, etc. Meanwhile, they try to pass a bill that defunds food assistance to starving children in the USA, Medicaid, and soon enough Social Security. It’s ok, daddy needs to see those tanks on the front lawn!
I feel for the troops that are having to put on this unnecessary pageant; instead of actually defending and protecting us, or simply spending a nice weekend with their families.
If a Democrat did this (or if they merely wore a ‘tan suit’) the Republicans would do another January 6 to try to stop it. Such double-standards here. If you’re still looking for ‘waste, fraud, and abuse,’ well, here it is, fellas.
Who wants to bet his Qatari jet does a flyover in the new livery.!
@1990 – 1000% agree!!!!
The claim is this is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the army, not the country (what will he do July 4 2026, the 250th anniversary of the DoI?). Whether the extravagance of this is because it falls on Trump’s bday is up for debate. My gut says it is way more a Trump bday than army bday. The amounts allocated are ridiculous. The closing of DCA is absurd. And the optics look more like Russia or North Korea than what purports to be the world’s greatest free nation.
President Woodrow Wilson clearly saw the potential for DJT by making Flag Day on DJT’s birthday when he was just 3 years old.
How many leaders get blessed with such a patriotic holiday on their BD when they are mere children?
I kid, I kid. at least a little bit.
It’s a Saturday night. No business but monkey business takes place on Saturday summer nights in DC
You mean the celebration of the armed forces on Flag day?
So the approximately 945,000 people, including the President, are sure to celebrate a parade on their birth day
Another opportunity for Dear Leader to generate revenue by marketing premium seating / hospitality packages at the event to the oligarch class. I guess they will have to fly their private jets into IAD instead
Just got a notice from the Semiquincentennial (250th birthday of the US) commission offering to reserve up to 2 tickets to the event for me and heralding that he would be there. I am surprised it didn’t include a pop up for Goya beans too. This is getting embarrassing; real leaders don’t need to have their egos stroked. In fact, Lao Tzu supposedly said, “”A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves”. As for this so-called one, afterwards I’m sure he will say it was the greatest parade ever with the biggest crowds ever.
Look @Tim Dunn attempting humor. That is worthy of a parade as well.
Waiting party at the Capital One Landing! Bring a guest while you can.
this is great news!! i’d like to see all airports at least temporarily pause operations in honor of our president’s 79th birthday – but we appreciate the one doing so. thank you president trump!! MAGA!!
The orange Mussolini is going to have his military parade. Taco Day!
Welcome to North Korea!
I read somewhere that the real DJT dealived in April and this is an AI generated clone imposter fueled by Jewish Space Lasers. Hopefully the Clinton Foundation won’t use HAARP to trigger a hurricane and earthquake simintaniously on the 14th.
Oh..and the 14th is my birthday too. Yipiie!!
“This is getting embarrassing” – @drrichard
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
We passed “getting embarrassing” about 250 off-ramps back.
This whole DJT circus CONTiNUES to be a national embarrassment!
Are we GREAT again yet?
He’s a pos
I, for one, would pay BIG money to watch Trump and Kim Jon Ung play a round of golf together!
We all need to attend .. wearing TACO costumes.
Thx for posting about this, Gary.
I’d say this is truly banana republic stuff, but as others have pointed out this is even worse: more in the realm of 1984-ish North Korea and Dear Leader. And it gets even more reprehensible, given all the $$$ being splurged on this charade of a parade in the wake of the life-ending, supposedly cost-cutting DOGE atrocities.
It’s all like something out of Black Mirror.
I liked our country when we had the Alzheimer guy wondering around and the auto pen putting millions of illegals on Medicare and getting foodstamps. It was so easier to live not knowing how badly we are getting taken advantage of.
Money could be better on anything else like improving ATC so planes can really land and takeoff at DCA. Just for his megalomaniac ego.
We live in a very sad time.
A military parade for a draft dodger! Sad times we live in.
don’t you mean the celebration to DISHONOR the military by providing a draft dodger with a parade?
Thank You President Kim Jong Putin Un Trump
We all bow to you on your special day and for Making America Great Again and Again
It should be a month shutdown to celebrate your Royal highness
Your humble servants and citizens of your Kingdom
I’m so happy to read that all of you libs (Gary at the top of the list) are losing your collective minds over this. First, comparing Clinton’s hair cut to this is sincerely stupid. Second, the rest of you morons should know that many “democratic” countries celebrate their country’s troops with military parades. I’ve been to several in Paris. I hope that several of you need to use the airport that day and are severely inconvenienced by it.
Somehow, everyone is missing and ignoring that June 14th will be 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army. And coincidentally Trump’s birthday.
“Reagan Nationa”?
I’ve heard there will be a taco bar.
He will probably cancel it before it gets started. More his style.
It’s National Airport. Reagan was a senile treasonous FWIT, just not as bad as Orange Draft dodging shitstain coward.
@jackoff. You are probably a draft dodging boomer coward too. ‘Owning the lies’ and being a keyboard ‘warrior’ is never going to make up for your lack of masculinity or intelligence.
@Old Curmudgeon
And you’re missing that the current Commander-in-Chief considered those who serve in our military to be “suckers and losers”. All those people too stupid to think of having bone spurs… Hardly an anniversary worthy of celebration, wouldn’t you say?
But the birthday of our dear, Glorious Leader who is deluded into thinking God put him here to “save” us?
Uh huh. Yeah, right.
Elon? Care to say something about our fine emperor on his barfday salute
You know he sent a $1 card from dollar tree
Any War Bird that flies in this disgraceful dog and pony show of tyrannical dictatorship support and ego mongering should be black listed from all airshows for 5 years at least.
Complicity to the destruction of all things good that were American ideals and strengths, as well as the murder of 100,000s of thousands in Ukraine and other places.
Unbelievably disgusting waste of our tax dollars. Where is DOGE when you need one…?