The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has tentatively awarded coveted slots for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), allocated as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2004. This move will allow various airlines to add five more round-trip flights beyond the airport’s current 1,250-mile perimeter rule.
More flights, new routes
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is bound by a 1.250 perimeter rule, which limits the number of flights that can operate further than this distance. However, over the years, a number of exceptions have allowed flights from select cities the coveted approval to operate to the airport.
Eight airlines recently applied for additional exemptions to operate routes outside the perimeter rule. The outlined criteria that applying airlines had to follow were for routes that currently did not have nonstop services to Washington National at the signing of the initial bill and must positively impact competition in the market.
Photo: Delta Air Lines
Four slot pairs will be made available to nonlimited incumbent carriers, with the remaining slot allocation for one airline qualifying as a limited incumbent carrier.
Related
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: 5 Things You Might Not Know
The airport’s location was home to one of the oldest remaining structures in Arlington.
American Airlines will introduce direct flights to San Antonio
Both American and Delta Air Lines won their respective proposals for longer-distance flights. American Airlines will introduce a direct service to San Antonio, Texas, with Airbus A321 services. Delta, on the other hand, will serve Seattle with the A321neo, competing directly with Alaska Airlines. American executive vice president Nate Gatten shared his joy in an statement on Wednesday:
“American would like to thank the city and community of San Antonio, the San Antonio International Airport, U.S. Senator Cruz and the entire Texas delegation for its strong partnership and support of this effort. I’d also like to thank DOT for recognizing the overwhelming value this route will bring to a previously unserved market. We look forward to DOT issuing a final order so we can begin connecting more members of Military City USA with our nation’s capital and our industry-leading global network.”
Alaska and 
Southwest Airlines
have also been awarded new routes, with Alaska connecting Washington National and San Diego with its Boeing 737 MAX 8, the largest unserved market from the airport, last served before the route was suspended in 2014 by US Airways
. Those looking to escape to Sin City will benefit from Southwest’s incoming service between Washington National and Las Vegas, going head-to-head with American Airlines on the route.
Related
Alaska Airlines Submits US DOT Application for New Washington DC-San Diego Flight
Once approved, the route would be served daily with the Boeing 737-8 or MAX-8.
United Airlines is expected to win the fifth slot
Star Alliance member United is expected to win the fifth slot, with plans to add more flights to San Francisco, creating a second daily flight between the two cities.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Other airlines that have received tentative awards included JetBlue
, Spirit, and Frontier, who applied for one of five slots. Breeze Airways
, which does not currently serve Washington National, called the reauthorization legislation unfair and anti-competitive, as it excluded nonincumbent airlines.