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General aviation returns to National AirportFrom Mike M. Ahlers YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSWASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a hesitant step toward normality, private planes will return to Reagan National Airport on Tuesday morning, more than four years after being banished because they were deemed to be a threat to nearby government buildings and landmarks. But the planes will be subject to stringent rules that a business aviation group says almost eliminate any reason to fly on a private flight instead of a commercial aircraft. A jet chartered by the National Air Transportation Association -- an industry group -- will land about 7 a.m. Tuesday and taxi under an arch of water from two fire trucks to mark the return of general aviation. A second private plane is expected to arrive later Tuesday, and more are expected later this week. Government rules will limit the airport to 48 operations (24 aircraft) a day, well below the 122 operations (61 aircraft) the airport handled in 2000. After the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the government banned general aviation aircraft from Reagan, restricting the airport to scheduled airlines and government aircraft. Officials feared a private plane could veer off its flight path and hit the Pentagon, Capitol or White House in a matter of seconds. This summer, the Transportation Security Administration and Secret Service agreed to congressional demands to reopen the airport to business and charter aircraft, but only after imposing a number of restrictions the industry has termed "onerous." Aviation companies flying into Reagan National must submit passenger and crew manifests to the TSA 24 hours in advance, and the TSA will conduct background checks on everyone. The planes must go through one of 12 "gateway airports" before landing at National. At the gateway airports, the TSA will reinspect the plane, passengers and baggage. An armed law enforcement officer must be on every flight. "We definitely would like to see the rules made a little more workable," said Dan Hubbard of the National Business Aviation Association. "The whole advantage to business aircraft is time. It's an efficiency aircraft. Once you've made the stop [at a gateway airport], now you're not getting the trip done any faster than if you just flew into Dulles." The Transportation Security Administration is charging $496 per flight plus $15 per person to cover the cost of inspections, he said. National Air Transportation Association spokesman Dan Kidder pointed out that it was scheduled airliners -- not general aviation -- that were hijacked in 2001. "We do feel that the restrictions are somewhat overdone," Kidder said. "Let's put it that way. We are pleased at this step; we don't want anyone to think otherwise. But it's time to get back to the table and make sure it's done more reasonably." After the 9/11 attacks, the government prohibited commercial airliners from using the airport for three weeks, before gradually returning the airport to service under tightened security. The federal government has greatly increased the use of federal air marshals. For a while it restricted passengers from standing up during the first 30 minutes after takeoff and the last 30 minutes before landing. The TSA ended that requirement earlier this year, saying hardened cockpit doors and other security measures made it unnecessary. 
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