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American Morning

Target: Terrorism - Helping Reagan National Reopen

Aired October 02, 2001 - 10:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Reagan National has been closed since the attacks back on 9-11, some still consider that airport a security risk because it is located so close to Washington landmarks, in fact only 3 miles from the White House.

Today though, there could be action. President Bush expected there momentarily, and CNN's Kathleen Koch live from Reagan National with more there.

Kathleen, good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief on the part of those in the tourism industry in Washington, D.C., from the more than 10,000 people who work at this airport, and indeed from the citizens of Washington, D.C. and Virginia, including members of Congress who use this airport, who rely on it on a regular basis.

As you said, President Bush is due here any minute, and CNN will carry his remarks live, to announce that this airport will reopen perhaps in a matter of days, but in a very limited capacity initially. What we're expecting is that shuttle flights will resume first, between Washington, D.C. and New York City, and Boston.

Now, obviously with the resumption of flights will come the toughest security measures in place at any airport in the country. First, Federal Air Marshalls will be in place on every single flight that arrives here and departs from Reagan National Airport.

Secondly, there will be -- passengers who will be boarding these flights will be screened not once, but twice. Both on arrival as they depart here, and as they depart airports to come to this airport in Washington, D.C.

We're also going to see that the flight patterns that planes normally that took to Reagan National Airports will be varied, to keep more of them from being so close to the downtown area.

We're also looking at changes as far as the strength of cockpit doors. Those will be beefed up in order to protect the pilots, and keep out any potential terrorist.

Now the Congressional delegate for Washington, D.C., Eleanor Holmes Norton, says that these changes in the reopening of airport, cannot come soon enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (D), DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: We have just come out of the worst economic crisis in a century. We were thriving until this happened and then we had this temporary monument, frankly, left by the tourists, the close down of our airport, which says to many in the world that the nation's capital itself must be closed down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now when the flights resume, the challenge will be keeping aircraft out of that prohibited airspace over Washington, D.C. As recently as 1998, planes were straying into that prohibited airspace at the rate of about 4 a month. Now, the FAA at that point sent out an advisory, the incursions dropped to about 16. But, in the last two years, they have been back up: In 2000, 25 incursions, and 20 through August of this year.

So, that's going to be something that's very difficult, and obviously may lend credence to what is being discussed, that they may stop general aviation, private aircraft, from landing and taking off at this airport. Primarily because they don't go through security, those who use the private aircraft. Also, they are the ones who most frequently violate that prohibited airspace over Washington. Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Kathleen. Also, the governor of Virginia, Jim Gilmore, will be along as well. We'll have his comments as well for you live, coming up momentarily.

Kathleen Koch at Reagan National with us.

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