Spot Urges Congress To Give Low-Income Students Affordable Access To Nation’s Capital
Washington, D.C. – Capital Access Alliance (CAA), a nationwide coalition of business and transportation leaders seeking to make air travel to and from Washington, D.C. more accessible and affordable, today released a new ad titled, “Same Access,” as part of its multi-state digital advertising campaign. The 30- and 15-second ads feature Les McCabe, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southern California, an education nonprofit that instructs students about financial stability.
“I’ve seen a student’s face when they see our nation’s capital for the first time. But trips from states like California aren’t affordable. The outdated perimeter rule restricts flights and drives up ticket prices,” said McCabe. “Low-income students should have the same access to D.C. as everyone else. Congress, we need your help.”
“Strengthening affordable access to Washington, D.C. will benefit Americans across the country, including the many students who visit every year,” said CAA spokesperson Brian Walsh. “For nearly 60 years, the perimeter rule has restricted competition at DCA, resulting in Washington, D.C. having the highest ticket prices in the nation and putting trips out of reach for too many of our young people. Students of all backgrounds should be able to experience their nation’s capital affordably, which is why modernizing the perimeter rule and adding more flights at DCA is so important. As the Senate considers its version of the FAA Reauthorization bill, we urge them to include this bipartisan proposal in the legislation and make air travel more affordable for our future leaders and all Americans.”
A bipartisan proposal in the U.S. Senate would add new in- and beyond-perimeter flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), while protecting current regional routes. FAA data shows that DCA has the capacity to safely add more flights during multiple blocks of time where capacity exceeds demand. If additional flights are approved, airlines would work with the FAA, as they do at all airports, to add new flights within these low-volume periods – not during busy peak times.
Additionally, new federal data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) shows that DCA leads the national capital region’s airports in on-time arrivals and departures, directly undercutting the false claims made by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and Members of Congress that DCA is overburdened and has some of the highest cancellation rates in the nation. CAA has repeatedly corrected the record that MWAA and their allies have made against making air travel to Washington, D.C. more affordable. Read more at protectregionalairportsfacts.com.
About CAA
CAA consists of diverse members from around the country and various industries, including transportation, general business groups, the small business sector, entrepreneurs and job creators, organizations focused on economic development and leaders in the civic and policy communities.
Learn more about Capital Access Alliance HERE.