Fight to add more long-haul flights into DC-area Reagan airport heats up
Samantha-Jo Roth
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A coalition of business groups working to expand the number of long-haul domestic flights into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is rejecting claims from key lawmakers in Virginia and the airports, who are opposed to increasing long-distance service.
The group, Capital Access Alliance, is proposing that lawmakers alter the perimeter requirements at Reagan as part of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization. Both Reagan and Dulles International Airport are owned by the federal government, which means Congress has the power to decide how they operate.
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The airport closest to Washington, D.C., has been subject to restrictions that limit the number of flights that travel more than 1,250 miles from Reagan for nearly 60 years in an effort to protect long-haul airline traffic at Dulles. The group, which includes Delta Air Lines, is encouraging Congress to increase the number of flights by as many as 25 daily trips. They also make the point that large cities like San Antonio and San Diego, the nation’s seventh- and eighth-largest cities, respectively, don’t have any nonstop flights from Reagan.
The coalition released a study by Boston Consulting Group that found the addition of long-haul flights could benefit all airlines equally. They also estimated that expanding the number of long-distance flights at Reagan could reduce ticket prices for passengers, contribute to millions of dollars in economic growth, and even add millions in federal and state revenue.
“I think many lawmakers recognize that the air travel landscape has changed both nationally and in Northern Virginia with the population growth has changed dramatically over the last 20 years,” coalition spokesman Brian Walsh said in an interview with Washington Examiner.
The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, which operates Dulles and Reagan, came out against easing perimeter restrictions at Reagan. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) issued a joint statement strongly opposing attempts to change the perimeter rules, pointing out that lawmakers have already carved out exemptions for a small number of flights to cities like Phoenix, Austin, Seattle, and Denver.
“Congress has made changes to these rules that have disrupted the balance in this two-airport system by adding additional flights from Reagan to destinations outside the 1,250-mile perimeter,” the senators wrote in their statement. “These changes in flight activity have produced significant stress on Reagan’s facilities, from strained roadways and limited parking availability to overburdened baggage systems, and created frustrations for travelers, businesses, and local residents.”
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents the district that includes Reagan, also came out against the rule, voicing concern about growing aircraft noise in the area.
“Killing the perimeter slot rule would seriously worsen aircraft noise in the National Capital region, a particularly unfortunate development so soon after the actions we announced with the FAA and regional leaders earlier this week to reduce helicopter noise,” Beyer said. “It would also increase congestion and delays and cut service to airports in other cities with smaller markets.”
However, CAA sent out a press release Friday in an attempt to refute claims from lawmakers. The BCG study found average noise levels have “remained flat, despite the mix of narrow-body aircraft operations has increased over the past 10 years.” The group also said the perimeter rule has only incentivized airlines to fly more regional aircraft, which often experience higher rates of disruption, pointing out that Reagan has about 25% more cancellations than similar metropolitan airports. The coalition believes adding more flights will only add to air service reliability at Reagan.
The study also found Reagan is underutilizing its capacity when compared to other airports in large metropolitan cities. The group also disputes the congestion concerns from lawmakers, emphasizing that the large $1 billion dollar terminal expansion enables the airport to be well-equipped to handle higher passenger volumes.
Lawmakers from outside Washington on both sides of the aisle are coming out in support of relaxing the perimeter requirements. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), whose district includes San Antonio, has been fighting for a direct flight to Reagan, arguing that the military presence in the area makes the route necessary.
“There is no nonstop flight between SAT and DCA, the closest airport to both the Pentagon and downtown Washington D.C.,” Roy wrote in a statement on Friday. “Securing a nonstop flight between DCA and SAT would promote national security and economic opportunity and make it easier for tens of thousands of veterans to be honored in our nation’s capital.”
At a recent House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) called for an exemption through the FAA for the perimeter rule, pushing for nonstop flights between El Paso and Reagan.
“Our region’s significant military presence from serving the two largest Department of Defense installations in the nation, Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range, passenger demand, and airline competitiveness would all benefit from such a change,” she said in her testimony.
A 2021 report by the Government Accountability Office looked at the perimeter rule at Reagan and noted allowing more long-distance nonstop flights could allow larger aircraft to operate and increase passengers but also could raise concerns about traffic and whether the airport had enough space for more passengers. The report did not take a stance on whether the perimeter rule should stay in place.
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Several advocates who are calling to relax the perimeter rules believe they are in place to protect big airlines like United and American Airlines, which have a large number of nonstop flights from both airports to the West Coast.
“If you’re opposing changes to the perimeter rule and more flights to and from DCA, you’re effectively opposing hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars in new tax revenue for the DMV region,” Walsh said. “Why lawmakers would take that position in order to protect a single big airline from competition is hard to understand. But hopefully they will reconsider their opposition.”