AIRPORTS: Busy Times at DCA

The Washington Post reports that capacity in National Airport's parking garages is at an all-time post-9/11 high. This week, all 7,500 parking spaces have been filled.

Airport officials are taking the overcrowding as a sign that the airport business is back up to pre-9/11 levels. DCA was shut down for weeks after the attack on the Pentagon out of fears terrorists could use the airport and its approaches to strike the capital.

From the Post's Steven Ginsberg:
Airport officials have predicted that traffic at National will rebound to 15 million passengers this year, after dropping as low as 12.9 million in 2002. Similarly, traffic at Dulles International Airport is expected to come close to the 20 million mark, about where it was in 2000 before a low of 16.9 million last year, officials said.

The Post passes on some helpful hints if you're planning on parking at DCA. Call (703) 417-PARK to find out how many spaces are left. If the number is fewer than 200, consider other options.

"National's Lots Put Drivers on Standby" [The Washington Post]
Parking Information for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport [Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority]