​Washington DCA: Air Force One Halloween flyover stops traffic, delays 200+ flights

On the evening of Thursday 29 October 2026, Air Force One made two low passes over the White House during a children’s Halloween event. The FAA temporarily halted traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA). FlightAware counted about 202 delayed flights that day — roughly 26% of departures and 17% of arrivals — with most delays tied to the airport disruption. This is a VIP/security flyover stop, not the same story as the 22 September DCA equipment-outage ground stop already covered.

What travellers saw

Airline officials said they had less than an hour’s notice; D.C. council posts said downtown, the Pentagon and National Airport got about 15 minutes. Passengers reported holding patterns and knock-on delays after the short ground stop. DCA’s tight slot and perimeter rules leave little slack when arrivals are frozen, so even a brief halt can ripple through the evening bank.

If the schedule is critical

If you cannot wait for the sequence to rebuild after a presidential TFR/ground stop, a private jet or empty leg into an alternate DC-area field may be workable once slots reopen. Rahizi qualifies the brief and returns partner options.

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Facts from Reuters, FlightAware, Aviacionline and local coverage of the 29 October 2026 Air Force One Halloween flyover at DCA. Always verify with your carrier.