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Last week, I wrote about how Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) will see five new flights added that will each span over 1,250 miles. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a bill that will allow five beyond-perimeter slots to be added. Each accommodate a flight that breaches the past limitation of the airport and airlines are already clamoring for these slots. The appeal of the airport is that it is much closer to the city than the other DC-area airports and therefore has greater appeal for politicians and tourists alike.
The perimeter rule was introduced in January 1966. It limited flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to 1,250 miles or less. The thought was that longhaul flights would operate out of Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and noise pollution would be reduced for DC residents. This is similar to the perimeter rule at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) that was introduced in 1984 and limits flights to 1,500 miles or less. There are exceptions on Saturdays and to/from Denver International Airport (DEN) every day.
So far, we”ve heard that the following routes are being considered or are rumored:
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) (Delta Air Lines)
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT) (American Airlines)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN) (Alaska Airlines)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) (Delta Air Lines)
Now, Southwest is entering the mix with its application for a slot to run daily flights to/from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). The airline proposes to provide the only one-stop, same-plane/no change service to Sacramento International Airport (SMF) via Las Vegas. Southwest claims that “the direct flight between California’s capital and the nation’s capital would maximize the competitive and consumer benefits of the DCA route.” Southwest will operate the route on a Boeing 737 aircraft with 175 seats.
Bob Jordan, President & Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Airlines, said:
Southwest has a long history of connecting people across the nation with important moments in their lives through competitive airfares, friendly and flexible policies, and the unmatched Hospitality of our People. We look forward to demonstrating to the DOT that Southwest’s proposal will maximize benefits to the traveling public. We believe Southwest’s proposed new DCA-LAS nonstop service will lower fares and increase access for the nation’s capital, Las Vegas, and western states. Customers in both markets will benefit from competitive airfares and nonstop, hassle-free transportation aboard the airline that invented friendly, reliable flying.”
Anthony’s Take: We’ll continue to see carriers vie for these slots. It will be interesting to see who actually gets awarded these takeoff and landing permissions and if United makes a play for any given its hub at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
(Image Credits: Nick Morales and Harold Mendoza.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
