Washington area leaders sought a quick reopening of Reagan National Airport as the country's airways lurched toward normalcy yesterday. But they predict that some of the most stringent security measures in domestic aviation will be imposed on an airport long prized for its convenience.
Strict baggage checks, long waits and armed marshals aboard planes may become routine as officials try to balance the huge economic and morale benefits of resuming flights at the historic airport with the risks of flying planes so close to the Pentagon and the Mall.
Airport officials and congressional leaders were eager to address security concerns out of fear that a prolonged closure of the airport might be its death knell. After decades of bustle and growth -- and a seemingly secure future as Congress's airport of choice -- Reagan National was a desolate place yesterday.
Skycap booths along the upper-level departure area were shuttered. The circular roads were empty, save for the occasional, nearly empty employee-parking buses. Billions of dollars' worth of aircraft were parked. Restaurants and shops in cavernous Terminal A were gated and dark.
All but one other major U.S. airport, Boston's Logan International, were open yesterday, and Logan planned to reopen this morning. Amtrak has added 30 percent capacity to its trains between Washington and Boston, picking up some of the air market.
Federal Aviation Administration officials offered no timetable for resuming flights at National, calling the shutdown a "temporary, indefinite closure" in the wake of Tuesday's attacks.
The pronouncement raised fears of a prolonged closure that could hurt the airport's 10,000 employees, hinder 45,000 daily air travelers and stall an economic engine that pumps an estimated $5 billion a year into the regional economy and generates about $100 million in state and local taxes. The danger seemed especially acute for National's largest carrier, the financially troubled US Airways.
James A. Wilding, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates National and Dulles International Airport, lobbied hard yesterday for a quick resumption of business. He said not reopening the airport would be an "absolutely catastrophic" blow to the region.
"Our sense is everybody in the FAA and elsewhere in the federal government is working toward reopening it as soon as possible," Wilding said. "We certainly hope this is something that's accomplished in a matter of days."
He also acknowledged that a prolonged closure could make it hard to ever resume flights, after years of furious opposition from neighbors concerned about sound and federal officials concerned about security.
"As long as it's shut down, there is that danger" of its not reopening, Wilding said.
National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice said in a briefing with area members of Congress this week that National may be the last airport in the nation to reopen. The plane that terrorists crashed into the Pentagon originated at Dulles, which had about 200 flights yesterday, compared with its typical 1,300. But a plane taking off or landing at National could be steered into Washington targets in seconds, without time for a military response.
U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D), whose Northern Virginia district includes National, said that some federal security officials, whom he declined to name, wanted to close the airport for good.
He predicted a successful lobbying effort to reopen it promptly, noting that four of five members of Congress use the airport for regular trips to their home districts. The airport has long reserved 88 free parking spaces for members of Congress, ambassadors and Supreme Court justices.
"The security people can't operate in a vacuum. We need to have National Airport," Moran said. "We have to go through special security measures for National Airport. That will probably be the compromise to get it open."
He outlined a number of likely new security measures, including armed air marshals, earlier arrivals for passengers, newly secured doorways to seal the cockpit from the cabin, a permanent end to curbside check-in, and baggage inspections resembling what international travelers face at customs. Moran also said the airport must conduct far more extensive background checks of new and current employees.
Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said: "My general sense, in talking to security people, is that they're going to make no promises at this point. We just hope to work with them to be able to satisfy their security concerns."
FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said she knew of no plans to close the airport permanently. She declined to comment on new security measures under development for Reagan National but said standards will vary among airports, depending on their risks.
"The security issues in Washington are unique," Brown said. "We'll have a level of security that's appropriate for its location."
At National yesterday, there were no signs of a return to normalcy.
A crew of airport workers positioned a hydraulic lift in the middle of the terminal, and two of them rose to the ceiling to drape a huge American flag from the rafters.
The only worker at the airport who appeared busy was the Rev. Stan Esterline, the chaplain. He led memorial services in the middle of the terminal at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., hoping to help employees express their grief over the terrorist attacks.
"Here in a place that's shut down, they're so much more in touch with it," Esterline said.
At California Pizza Kitchen, one of only two restaurants that were open, manager Terry Jordan, 32, said he feared that the airport would never reopen.
"If we go to war, this airport will be closed," he said. "I have two kids I have to take care of. I'm already thinking of looking for another job."
