By: Michael Laris | May 24, 2024 | Washington Post
An aviation law signed by President Biden this month will add five new round-trip flights to Reagan National Airport. The move followed a yearof political struggle, with backers citing the benefits of adding nonstop destinations and boosting competition and critics warning of new delays and safety risks on the airport’s already overused primary runway in Arlington, Va.
The new slots have yet to be assigned to specific airlines or destinations. American Airlines is targeting San Antonio. Southwest wants Las Vegas. Spirit is seeking San Jose. Alaska Airlines is proposing to fly to San Diego. All would be nonstops for airlines that lack direct service to those cities from National. Delta, United, JetBlue and Frontier won’t say publicly which cities they might want, though Salt Lake City and Seattle have been mentioned as possibilities in aviation circles.
The U.S. Department of Transportation will rule on which airlines get which cities. Congress gave it a 60-day window to make those decisions, with a deadline in mid-July. The department will launch an application process, with a chance for airlines to make their cases and for the public to sound off.
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