[In the News]:Reagan National Airport Re-opens


This is Steve Emberwith the VOA Special English program IN THE NEWS.

Reagan National Airport near Washington, D-C, re-opened Thursdaywith a limited number of flights. It was the last major Americanairport to re-open after the September Eleventh terrorist attacks inthe United States. President Bush announced the decision Tuesday. Hetold reporters there was no greater sign that America is back inbusiness than the re-opening of National Airport.

On September Eleventh, four hijacked American passenger planescrashed into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon nearWashington and an area in Pennsylvania. All airports in the UnitedStates were closed the day of the attack.

Stronger security measures have been established at all Americanairports to protect against possible terrorist attacks in thefuture. The new restrictions at Reagan National Airport are said tobe the strongest security measures of any airport in the UnitedStates.

For example, armed federal guards will be on flights to and fromthe airport. Passengers will be questioned or searched at least twotimes before getting on their flights. The number of things they maycarry onto planes also has been limited. Special new X-ray machineswill examine all objects belonging to passengers before they areplaced on the planes. Stronger security measures also will affectall airport workers.

Flight paths into and out of the Washington area are alsochanging. More air space over the nation's capital is expected toclose.

The stronger security measures follow a recent debate within theBush Administration about the future of Reagan National Airport. Theairport is considered to be very important for the nation's travelindustry. Yet, it is located less than one minute by air from theWhite House, Capitol, Pentagon and other important governmentbuildings. President Bush settled the issue by approving a plan toslowly bring National Airport back to use under heavy restrictions.

The re-opening of the airport will happen in two steps. Duringthe first step, six of the sixteen airlines that serve the airportwill be permitted to fly to eight American cities. After severalweeks, direct flights to ten other cities will be permitted.Four-hundred-fifty flights are expected to fly into and out ofNational Airport each day. This is about fifty-seven percent of thetotal number of daily flights before September Eleventh.

About forty-two-thousand passengers a day used Reagan NationalAirport last year. The airport employs more then ten-thousandpeople. Airport officials estimate the airport provides more thantwo-thousand-million dollars a year for the Washington area economy.Robert Grow is the Transportation Director for the GreaterWashington Board of Trade. He says that re-opening Reagan NationalAirport will greatly improve the city's economy.

This VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS, was written byJill Moss. This is Steve Ember.

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