Congress just added new flights at Reagan — here are the cities that could benefit

There will be five new round-trip flights each day at lawmakers’ favorite airport, thanks to a major aviation bill that passed the House on Wednesday and will soon be signed into law by President Joe Biden. Now a major question remains: Which destination cities will be chosen?

The campaign to add more flights at Reagan National Airport, known as DCA, has been simmering for over a year, and now, it’s up to the airlines to put applications in to the Department of Transportation over the next 60 days. From there, the agency will evaluate and ultimately determine which airlines and cities will be granted the additional flights.

Proponents of expanding the perimeter rule had been pushing for an additional 28 slots but ultimately only received five after lawmakers from the Washington area pushed back against the expansion, arguing the airport is already strained by traffic and noise disruption. 

The rule limits the number of flights that travel more than 1,250 from DCA. Both Reagan and Dulles International Airport are owned by the federal government, which means Congress can decide how they operate. Over the years, lawmakers have carved out exemptions to allow a small number of flights at the airport that are beyond the 1,250-mile limit.

According to the legislation, the transportation secretary will make eight slots available to “incumbent air carriers qualifying for status as a non-limited incumbent.” According to those familiar with the process, this means the Department of Transportation is likely to grant United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines one round-trip flight each. 

The bill also says there will be two slots “available to incumbent air carriers qualifying for status as a limited incumbent carrier,” which means Alaska or Frontier Airlines will have to compete for the one remaining long-haul, round-trip flight.

When considering the applications, preference will go to flights that “enhance options for nonstop travel to beyond-perimeter airports that do not have nonstop service,” according to the legislation. The sources believe applications proposing flights to cities not currently being served by the airport are most likely to be approved.

Which cities could be chosen?

Large cities such as San Antonio and San Diego, the nation’s seventh- and eighth-largest cities, have been lobbying for the nonstop flights from Reagan since the push for the perimeter expansion began over a year ago. 

The San Antonio International Airport and American Airlines announced a partnership on Wednesday with the goal of securing a nonstop flight from San Antonio to the airport closest to Washington, D.C., according to a press release. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the city has long been pushing for a nonstop flight.

“We have been working for more than a decade to give residents of America’s seventh-largest city the same access to our nation’s leaders as nearly every other major city in the country,” Nirenberg said in a press release. “I am grateful for the hard work of Senator Cruz and our entire congressional delegation and look forward to Secretary Buttigieg’s approval of American’s application to initiate nonstop service from Military City USA to DCA.”

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria lobbied for a nonstop flight in a post on X, emphasizing San Diego is the largest market in the United States “not served by Washington National Airport.”

“This reauthorization included an expansion of slots at DCA, which means we’re closer to securing a nonstop flight. Thanks @SenAlexPadilla and @Senlaphonza. We’ll keep working to get this done,” Gloria said in the post.

Many lawmakers over the last year have attempted to lobby for nonstop flights from their districts. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) called for an exemption through the Federal Aviation Administration for the perimeter rule, pushing for nonstop flights between El Paso and Reagan, during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing last year. Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), who introduced the measure in the House last year, celebrated the new flights. Salt Lake City currently only has one round-trip flight to Reagan, operated by Delta.

“This legislation was designed not for one airport or one airline but for all of us,” Owens said on the House floor on Wednesday. “It gives more convenience and opportunities to families traveling into Washington, D.C.” 

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There could also be trips added from larger markets on the West Coast that have limited flights. According to a 2020 report from the Government Accountability Office, there are 20 daily, beyond-the perimeter round-trip flights currently operating between DCA and 10 cities.

Austin, Portland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and San Juan only have one round-trip flight that travels into the airport closest to the nation’s capital each day. Seattle has two, San Francisco has two, Phoenix has three, and Los Angeles and Denver each have four daily round-trip flights.