5 airlines win coveted long-haul flights at DCA
Five new long-haul domestic flights will arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
After months of public and behind-the-scenes wrangling between airlines and lawmakers, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced tentative approvals for airlines — and cities — to be awarded this highly coveted right to fly.
A DOT spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed to TPG the new airline routes expected to be approved to launch soon.
These include:
- American Airlines, with nonstop service from DCA to San Antonio International Airport (SAT).
- Alaska Airlines, with nonstop service from DCA to San Diego International Airport (SAN).
- Delta Air Lines, with nonstop service from DCA to Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
- Southwest Airlines, with nonstop service from DCA to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.
- United Airlines, with a second daily nonstop flight from DCA to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Space is strictly limited
Airlines really want these new routes. Reagan is easily the closest and most convenient airport to downtown Washington, just a short subway or car ride from downtown and major landmarks.
However, for decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation has closely protected DCA’s limited space.
DOT regulations technically prohibit airlines from flying routes from Reagan to destinations that exceed 1,250 statute miles.
Over the years, however, Congress has allowed dozens of exceptions to these rules in the form of so-called “tort exemptions.”
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Each exception allows an airline to fly a specific DOT-approved route using a “pair of slots” issued by the agency. A “slot pair” consists of one takeoff and one landing – in other words, a round trip that exceeds a circumference of 1,250 miles.
Over the years, waivers from DCA perimeter rules have allowed some airlines to establish transcontinental routes from Reagan to the West Coast via cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Denver – among others.
In May, Congress directed DOT emitted year add pair of slotsin a controversial decision that was met with “strong opposition” from the airport authority.
Along with area lawmakers, the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority criticized Congress’s decisions to add flights to the already congested airspace at Reagan – and singled out the Airport Dulles International (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) are comparably larger. more suitable for development.
According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, the total number of seats on domestic flights departing from Reagan will increase nearly 19% in 2024 compared to 2014, a decade ago.
The number of domestic seats in Dulles is expected to increase by just over 10%.
Read more: What are airport vacancies and how do they affect your flight?
Another spin
Still, the move has airlines clamoring for potential new routes from Reagan to out-of-belt cities.
The DOT released very specific criteria at the end of June to govern which airlines and routes could qualify, and promised to make decisions based on promoting competition and service. public with the best connectivity to underserved routes.
There is no doubt that these regulations have influenced which service providers even bother to apply.
Which airlines lost?
Seven airlines applied for these five routes, with two airlines ultimately being eliminated.
The dropped airlines included Spirit Airlines, which had applied for a DCA nonstop flight to Norman Mineta International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, California, and JetBlue, which had proposed a second daily nonstop flight to San Juan , Puerto Rico.
Airlines receive DCA’s new long-haul flights
Here’s a closer look at the routes do Win DOT approval:
| Airlines | Route | Note |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | DCA-SAT | Expanding service provider hub operations at DCA. American already operates four “long-haul” DCA routes to Austin, Las Veags, Los Angeles and Phoenix. |
| Alaska Airlines | DCA-SAN | Connects the Seattle-based route to its only major West Coast hub without a direct DCA route, along with LAX, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. |
| Delta Airlines | DCA-SEA | Adds competition to the DCA-SEA route currently served exclusively by Alaska. Provides Delta with a second non-perimeter DCA route, in addition to existing Salt Lake City service. |
| Southwest | DCA-LAS | Gives the carrier a second perimeter destination, along with Austin. It also adds competition to the DCA-LAS route, which is currently exclusively served by American. |
| Flower | DCA-SFO | The new route marks United’s second daily nonstop DCA flight to SFO, which will now serve from all three major DC area airports. United also flies a non-belt route from Reagan to Denver. United plans to fly the route using Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. |
While Wednesday’s DOT announcement was technically tentative, the airlines and cities that were granted the routes have already begun celebrating the news.
“Today marks a major milestone for San Antonio as we move one step closer to securing nonstop flights between SAT and DCA,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement. “The connection between San Antonio and our nation’s capital is long overdue.”
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