Since 1986, Congress has restricted the number of nonstop flights to originate out of DCA to airports outside of a 1,250-mile perimeter to adjust to the physical limitations at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA).
Washington Dulles International (IAD) was planned to be the growth airport for the region, but Congress made changes to the rules in Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bills so that the balance of the two-airport system was disrupted. Flights were added from Reagan to destinations outside the perimeter, which put strain on DCA’s facilities, from strained roadways and limited parking availability to overburdened baggage systems, and created frustrations for travelers, businesses and local residents.
The changes also prevented Dulles, whose size allows for larger planes to land and take off, from realizing its full potential as the primary long-haul flight destination for the Washington metropolitan area.
U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia were joined by two Maryland senators in March who sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee. The Committee has the responsibility for drafting legislation to reauthorize the FAA, strongly opposing any further changes at airports that serve residents of the National Capital Area.
Warner and Kaine issued a statement Thursday on slot and perimeter rules.
“With the expansion of Metro access to Dulles, long-distance flights from the Washington region have never been more accessible or competitive. The slot and perimeter rules help to balance consistent world-class aviation services at the region’s three major airports, which has in turn allowed for billions of dollars in private-sector capital investment in the metropolitan Washington area. As Congress prepares to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we will strongly oppose any efforts to disrupt or undermine the balance between Dulles and National, an airport one-fourteenth the size of Dulles.”
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Rebecca Barnabi
