Five airlines have received tentative approval to run new long-haul flights out of Reagan National Airport.
The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday (Wednesday) announced plans to approve flights to the following locations, granting each airline one extra round-trip flight per day.
- San Antonio (via American Airlines)
- Seattle (via Delta Airlines)
- Las Vegas (via Southwest Airlines)
- San Francisco (via United Airlines)
- San Diego (via Alaska Arlines)
Involved parties have two weeks to file any objections to the proposed plan.
A total of eight airlines applied for extra flight slots back in July after Congress overwhelmingly approved a bill expanding the number of flights at the airport — despite objections from some local lawmakers.
U.S. DOT did not accept applications from either Frontier Airlines or JetBlue to run flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico. It also tentatively rejected a Spirit Airlines application for flights to San Jose, Calif.
The department tentatively found Spirit and Frontier ineligible, while the JetBlue service “would not enhance air travel options in an unserved beyond-perimeter market.”
All of the approved flights are outside of DCA’s 1,250-mile service perimeter, which limits the distance of most flights coming in or out of the airport.
Significant debate surrounded the decision to add more flights to DCA. While proponents argued that the move creates more competition and will ultimately drive down flight costs, opponents including Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (D-Va.) raised concerns about safety and additional delays at the busy airport.
The approved bill is a more modest version of a failed piece of legislation last year, which would have added 28 flights to DCA.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — a vocal proponent of the legislation who was a member of the Senate committee that introduced it — celebrated yesterday’s announcement on social media.
I’m proud to have led Republicans and Democrats in delivering a landmark victory not just for the City of San Antonio but the entire Lone Star State. The new American Airlines SAT-DCA flight is the culmination of a years-long effort to connect our nation’s capital with the… https://t.co/4L4CgdXRQb
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 16, 2024
