The D.C. airport will temporarily ground-stop all flights to make way for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix

If you’re flying through Washington, D.C., on Sunday, August 23, you might want to check your itinerary: The FAA has announced they it will temporarily pause all flight operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) for three full hours on that date, starting at 10:15am and ending at 1:15pm. (However, the agency says that timing could change, so travelers should check directly with their airlines before heading to the airport.)

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The reason for all this airborne disruption? IndyCar is coming to the nation’s capital. Yes, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23, on a 1.7-mile street circuit around the National Mall, with the race itself scheduled for Sunday. The course will run along major stretches near the U.S. Capitol, including Pennsylvania and Independence avenues.

Naturally, putting a racetrack next to some of the country’s most restricted airspace requires a little coordination. The FAA says it has been working with stakeholders on traffic-management measures designed to keep air traffic moving safely during the event. On race day, that means air traffic will just... stop. 

The three-hour pause doesn’t necessarily mean every flight scheduled around that window will be canceled. Airlines will adjust schedules, and the FAA’s timing remains subject to change. But if your itinerary includes arriving at or departing from DCA around midday on August 23, give yourself some flexibility or prepare for a few hours of refreshing your airline app.

There are other airports serving the Washington area, including Dulles International and Baltimore/Washington International, but switching airports is obviously more complicated than simply wandering to another gate.

The Grand Prix is expected to bring major road closures and parking restrictions to central D.C. throughout the weekend, too. So, if you’re headed to the capital for the race, plan for slightly more headache-y logistics than you'd expect from a normal weekend getaway.