Coalition Calls On Leaders Of The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation and U.S. House Committee On Transportation & Infrastructure To Include Bipartisan Compromise In Final FAA Reauthorization Bill
Washington, D.C. – The Capital Access Alliance (CAA), a coalition of transportation and business leaders from Virginia and around the country seeking to make air travel to and from Washington, D.C., more accessible and affordable, sent a letter to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), urging support for the five additional flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that were recently approved in an unanimous vote by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
As the committees work together to reconcile the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill, the letter re-emphasizes the need for more competition in the national capital area air travel market to lower consumers’ prices.
“Over the last year, nationwide support for adding more flights at DCA has grown because the benefits of increased competition are clear,” said CAA spokesperson Brian Walsh. “Chairwoman Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz, and members of the Senate Commerce Committee stood with consumers by approving five additional flights at DCA in a strong bipartisan vote. Now, it’s our hope these will be included in the final legislation. These five flights are a mere fraction of the 28 additional flights originally proposed and are a reasonable compromise that members of both parties should fully support.
“Consumers traveling to Washington, D.C. currently pay the most expensive airfare of any major metropolitan area in the country because the perimeter rule has stifled competition for nearly six decades. Giving consumers more choices will make air travel to and from our nation’s capital more affordable,” continued Walsh. “Members of CAA and the flying public are counting on the full Congress to ensure these new flights are included in the final legislative package passed by Congress.”
Read the full letter HERE and below.
April 25, 2024
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
254 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
2165 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairwoman Cantwell and Ranking Member Cruz, Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen, and Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Members of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
We are proud members of the Capital Access Alliance (CAA), a coalition of transportation and business leaders from around the country seeking to make air travel to and from Washington, D.C. more accessible and affordable. We are writing today to ask for your support in adding more flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in this year’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation recently approved a bipartisan provision to add five new slot pairs at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in the committee markup of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill. We were pleased to see the provision pass with strong bipartisan support, as it will increase affordable access between Washington, D.C. and communities like ours.
There is more work to be done to ensure this modest increase in flights is included in the final FAA Reauthorization bill that will be voted on by the full Congress. We are counting on your support for including these additional flights, which will boost competition, lower ticket prices, and ensure travel to and from Washington, D.C. is accessible and affordable for all.
The five additional slot pairs represent a very reasonable, bipartisan compromise. Many U.S. House members and Senators supported legislation at the beginning of this effort that would have added as many as 28 additional flights at DCA. Given the fact that FAA data shows DCA could handle that many new flights, the five additional flights approved in committee are exceedingly manageable.
Today, consumers traveling to or from the national capital region pay the highest ticket prices of any metropolitan area in the nation. In fact, Dulles International Airport (IAD) was named the most expensive airport in the country for domestic travel with an average ticket price of nearly $500. This is due in large part to an outdated federal perimeter rule, which limits the number of flights per day at DCA. Fewer choices have only led to higher prices. Modernizing the perimeter rule by adding these five new flights will be a positive step towards lowering airfare for consumers.
There are multiple windows during the day when DCA’s runway capacity exceeds demand. In fact, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker acknowledged there was room for more capacity at a recent hearing before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. This has also been confirmed by former FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, as well as a 30-year certified air traffic controller.
DCA is one of the top-performing airports in the nation. It leads the national capital region in on-time departures and arrivals, which includes IAD and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). Per The Washington Post, a leading travel data provider ranked DCA as one of the top five airports in North America, with an 80 percent on-time arrival rate.
The 1960s-era perimeter rule has burdened consumers for too long. A modest increase of five slot pairs at DCA will support modern air travel needs by increasing affordable and efficient access to Washington, D.C. The Capital Access Alliance respectfully urges you to support this bipartisan compromise when you vote on the FAA Reauthorization bill in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Michigan
Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce
Connoisseur Travel
Consumer Technology Association
Delta Air Lines
El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Global Travel
Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce
greater:SATX
Junior Achievement of Southern California
Montana Chamber of Commerce
North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
Omega World Travel
Research Triangle Institute
San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Salt Lake Chamber
San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
Stemtac Foundation
Travel Portland
Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce
Visit San Antonio
Washington Build Back Black Alliance
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.
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