Reagan National Sets Passenger Record

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by ARLnow.com February 21, 2013 at 10:55 am 26 Comments

Nearly 20 million passengers traveled through Reagan National Airport in 2012, setting a new record.

DCA’s passenger traffic increased 4.1 percent to 19.7 million passengers. The growth came during a year when industry-wide airport passenger growth was less than 1 percent. It also comes a year after Reagan National hit a then-record 18.8 million passengers in 2011.

Travelers had more travel options at DCA this past year, with US Airways and JetBlue adding new non-stop service and a new airline, Virgin America, now serving the airport.

A new construction project this year will help ease some of the crowding at Reagan National, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

“The airport continues to be a popular choice because of its proximity to downtown Washington,” MWAA said in a press release. “A construction project in 2013 will address some of the increased demand at Reagan National, expanding security screening areas in Terminal A to provide improved access for passengers using the terminal’s nine gates.”

While international travel grew by 2 percent at Dulles, MWAA says domestic travel was hurt by competition from DCA.

“Dulles saw domestic service declines mainly resulting from the transfer of some airline routes to Reagan National and reduced capacity on other routes,” the authority said.

novasteve

Global warming! We need to encourage these people to use bicycles instead!
FF-squared

Uh, I think that should be “Virgin America,” not “Virginia America.”
- ARLnow.com
  
  Fixed
alaaro

Has rebuilding of Terminal A ever been considered? What a terrible, terrible building.
- speonjosh
  
  Can’t see anything terrible about it. I appreciate the historical value of the place – remembering that once the entire airport was just those 8 gates. Yes, the walk from Metro is rather long, but there is a shuttle bus.
  
  My first visit to National Airport was while Terminals B and C were being built. (About 1993?) But the Metro station was already open – you had to walk the whole way outdoors. That sucked.
  - Dan
    
    There was a frequent shuttle that ran from the metro to the airport…..not that, that will be of much use to you now.
- bobco85
  
  Terminal A was part of the original airport built back in 1941. I personally like it, as it serves almost as its own museum of historic air travel. I love the architecture of the building, especially out front at the pick-up/drop-off area. The long corridors and design of the lounges and rooms make me feel more like I’m flying first class than the typical rat race feel of modern airports (note: I’ve never flown first class, and I only fly for personal trips).
  
  For modern air travel? Terminal A is terribly outdated, and that’s the reason Terminals B and C were built in 1997.
  - speonjosh
    
    Opened in 1997?
  - speonjosh
    
    Also, since people continue to fly in and out of Terminal A, I can’t see what the “modern air travel” remark is about. What’s modern about Term B and C that Term A doesn’t have? They’re bigger, yes. But I don’t really see any other difference. Maybe the airlines do.
LGRooney

True locals still call it National not Reagan National.
- jackson
  
  Everyone over a certain age calls it National. It’s not an insider badge of deep roots.
  - BigErn
    
    Don’t be so polite – what he’s trying to say is “true locals” = “old fogeys”
    - novasteve
      
      I’m so young I expect to get an award when I enter the airport.
    - Old Fogey
      
      What in the heck is a “plane” ???
      - novasteve
        
        Is it too late for the 2:30 Autogyro to the Prussian consulate in Siam?
- WeiQiang
  
  since its official name is “Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport”, i just find it more consistent to say “National Airport”.
  
  then again, i sometimes fly out of Friendship International.
  - novasteve
    
    I still call JFK Aiprot Idlewild.
- KathyInArlington
  
  I, too, still call it National and am choosing to be continually annoyed about the name change. It has nothing to do with the Reagan part of the name; I would have felt the same no matter what it was changed to.
- Ivy
  
  Yes, the people here call it National. But, the Republican congress under Gingrich forced the name “Reagan Airport” down everyone’s throat and threatened to cut off Metro funding and highway budget if they didn’t spend money on changing Metro and road signs.
CW

I’ve always been amazed at how generally cost-competitive DCA has been with IAD and BWI on domestic flights. Hope it stays that way.
Major Pup McPuppo Jr.

i like planes. i like flying. i also like national airport. it is nice.
- WeiQiang
  
  i’m sorry that you have to be crated for the flight
  - KathyInArlington
    
    Smile.
- Happy Harry
  
  Chinatown buses are more comfortable than flying. Flying sucks, except for the part about getting someplace else quickly. It makes one week vacations possible. Unless you have a First Class ticket to avoid lines and sitting with your knees in your chest next to fat people everywhere with their overstuffed bags and screaming kids and battleaxe stewardness who are the last persons in the world you want to see as your world ends in a nosedive to earth at 500mph.
  - KathyInArlington
    
    Happy Harry, what a pleasant person you are, what with your disdain for “fat people”, “overstuffed bags”, “screaming kids” and “battleaxe stewardness” (sic). Better said, you apparently disdain “everything in general.” Man, I’d really like to be on a flight with you. I’m certain it would be memorable.
Alex

Argh… the lines…

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