[JYO] No Private Planes at Reagan Airport

No Private Planes at Reagan Airport

.c The Associated Press 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Private planes won't be allowed to resume flights at Ronald 
Reagan Washington National Airport because of continuing security concerns, 
federal transportation officials said Friday.

Commercial flights have been allowed to resume with increased security 
procedures, but flights by private planes, air taxis and corporate planes 
remain banned from the airport under current policy.

``We've looked at it regularly since 9-11 and at the current time, we're 
going to continue the present policy,'' said Chet Lunner, chief spokesman for 
the Department of Transportation.

Transportation officials told members of Congress in May that they were 
preparing to lift the ban, but in mid-June said they would not be changing 
the policy. They reaffirmed that position at a Friday meeting.

James K. Coyne, president of the National Air Transportation Association, 
said he was ``extremely disappointed that the administration continues to 
drag its feet on what is arguably the most important general aviation 
facility in the nation.''

Lunner said transportation officials were preparing to remove the ban, ``but 
the security assessment never improved.''

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