Senate takes over push for new long-haul flights at Reagan National.

Capitol Hill Pushes for More Long-Distance Flights at Reagan National Airport

Exciting news for travelers! Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) are joining forces to introduce a bill that would allow more airlines to offer long-distance flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Currently, federal rules only permit a handful of flights to operate beyond a 1,250-mile perimeter. The bill in the Senate is similar to one introduced earlier this month by Reps. Burgess Owens (R-UT) and Hank Johnson (D-GA) that would allow airlines to offer more long-distance service out of Reagan and 28 more flights daily.

The Perimeter Rule

The issue at hand is the perimeter rule, which limits the number of flights that travel more than 1,250 miles 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.

Lummis argues that a change is needed to better serve her constituents in Wyoming, who she said are the “most underserved in the continental United States.”

Support for the Bill

Capital Access Alliance, a coalition of business groups and Delta Airlines, are working to expand the number of long-haul domestic flights to DCA and have applauded the new legislation. “We applaud Sens. Warnock and Lummis for leading the effort in the U.S. Senate to modernize the outdated perimeter rule and improve access to the nation’s capital region,” said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for CAA. “This is pro-consumer legislation aimed at making air travel more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans around the country.”

However, there is also strong opposition to the proposal to add new long-distance flights from lawmakers from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Sen Mark Warner (D-VA) reiterated his opposition to lifting the perimeter rule on Tuesday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) also came out in support of maintaining the DCA perimeter rule on Monday.

Opposition to the Bill

The Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports, which includes members like United Airlines, which has a hub at Dulles, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority continue to argue that the main runway at DCA is the busiest in the nation and does not have the capacity to handle more flights. They point to a recent FAA memo that found “20 more daily roundtrip operations would increase delay by 25.9% and an increase of 25 daily roundtrip operations would increase delay by 33.2% at DCA.”

Despite the opposition, the bill is gaining momentum and could bring more affordable and accessible air travel to millions of Americans.

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