Many Beltway dwellers trying to get to the West Coast prefer flying out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) because of its convenient location, but the smaller number of long-haul flights—and the cost of the existing ones—often necessitate flying out of Dulles, Va. or Baltimore. But that may change because the U.S. Department of Transportation just tentatively approved proposals from major airlines to operate five new, daily roundtrip flights to major West Coast cities out of DCA.
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The approval was published Wednesday. Here are the routes and airlines that were approved:
- American Airlines—to/from San Antonio, Tex. via San Antonio International Airport
- Alaska Airlines—to/from San Diego via San Diego International Airport
- Delta Airlines—to/from Seattle via Seattle Tacoma International Airport
- Southwest Airlines—to/from Las Vegas via Harry Reid International Airport
- United Airlines—to/from the San Francisco Bay Area via San Francisco International Airport
This is major news because DCA is subject to federal restrictions that strictly limit how many flights can operate. DCA is one of three airports—along with LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York—that are subject to federal regulation meant to manage congestion and prevent major delays. To do this, the DOT assigns slots, or permission to use a runway to take off and land, to airlines at these airports. There are a limited number of slots, and they dictate when airlines can operate flights (a roundtrip flight is considered a slot pair, which covers one takeoff and one landing). The DOT awards slots and approves exemptions to the rules, while the slots are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. To gain slots, airlines submit applications and undergo an approval process.
DCA is also subject to a perimeter rule, a federal regulation that restricts the number of long-haul, non-stop flights to/from DCA that are more than 1,250 miles. Congress has to propose and approve any changes to these rules, such as adding more flights.
The new routes are part of a bipartisan deal struck in Congress to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which authorizes the federal agency for five years and includes funding and support for aviation-related infrastructure, programs, and safety. The bill included allocations for five new slots at DCA. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in May.
Local lawmakers and the airport opposed the flights earlier in the year, saying adding more flights would create issues with operations and safety, noise, and congestion at the airport. A DOT analysis in the document above found that the existing direct flights DCA operates to these locales aren't enough to meet customer demand.
Have an opinion on the flights? The DOT will accept public comments until October 30 (here's how to submit feedback) and will answer comments until November 8.