Those who live en route to Reagan National Airport will be sleeping more soundly from now on.
Planners have changed the construction schedule for repair of the main runway to no longer divert flights over residential areas. Although no planes land at National between 1 and 6 a.m., flights between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. had been flying over homes in Southwest and Southeast D.C.
That's because crews had been working on the runway starting at 11 p.m. -- but they'll now wait until 1 a.m. to start each night, in response to a letter from Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.).
She sent a letter last week to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, outlining residents' concerns about the bright lights and engine noise.
"Flights in the late night and early morning hours have long been limited at Reagan because of the location of the airport in a densely populated urban community," Holmes Norton said in a statement Monday. "We recognize that MWAA must repair the main runway at Reagan, but there is more than one way to skin a cat --- and to fix the runway while residents enjoy a night's sleep. We are grateful for the accommodation."
