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With new security measures in place, Reagan National Airport has now been authorized by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to run the same number of flights that it did prior to September 11. The new safety precautions include pre-flight screenings for aircraft crews, expanded police and canine patrols and random passenger checks with handheld metal detectors. The department's decision means the airport is authorized to restore service levels to those in place before the terrorist attacks -- about 800 flights to 69 cities. Reagan had been the last commercial airport in the nation to face such restrictions. Other limitations remain in place, though. Planes with more than 155 seats are barred from Reagan because of the airport's proximity to the capital city, Mosley said, and a curfew restricts flights between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Those restrictions, along with a decrease in demand for air travel, are keeping airlines from increasing immediately to 800 flights a day. Airport officials say they expect about 620 flights a day by this week, equal to the daily average in March. ©2001 Gateway Travel Management. All Rights Reserved.
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