DCA to pause all flights for 3 hours during Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend

Federal aviation officials announced Monday that all flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will be halted for three hours later this month to accommodate the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, part of a broader wave of road closures and parking restrictions already reshaping downtown Washington ahead of the race.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it has been coordinating with stakeholders to ensure safe and efficient air traffic movement during Freedom 250 events, and will implement "traffic management initiatives" at DCA as a result.

That means a three-hour pause on all flights on Sunday, Aug. 23, from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The pause is tied to flyovers planned in connection with the race. The FAA cautioned that flight pause times are subject to change and advised travelers to check their flight status with their airline.

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., is a free, two-day motorsports event slated for Aug. 22-23. Part of the city's continuing celebration of America's 250th anniversary, it marks the first time an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race will run on a 1.7-mile course in front of the U.S. Capitol and along the National Mall. 

Race organizer Bud Denker said in late July that hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend; Grand Prix officials have issued 266,000 tickets out of 288,000 available.

Washington is already preparing for traffic impacts tied to the event, according to D.C. Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll, and the city has begun implementing parking restrictions and road closures — the full list of which is available through the Metropolitan Police Department. Many restrictions take effect the morning of Aug. 14 and will increase in the days leading up to the race.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recommended last month that residents avoid downtown driving near the racecourse entirely: “Leave all of the downtown driving on the racecourse.”

Denker pledged that the Grand Prix would cover all costs of producing the event, as well as any damage done to D.C. streets.

"You're going to see the most amazing spectacle that we've seen in the city streets here in Washington, D.C.," he said. "Our simulations show that on Pennsylvania Avenue, our cars will be about 185 mph — legally."

Officials recommend that people in the area rely mainly on Metrorail and Metrobus service to get around downtown before, during and after the race weekend. WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke, however, warned riders to expect "significant bus detours" because of the event.

Katherine Pugh is a reporter for Just the News. Follow her on X for more coverage.