Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Ap Correspondent

Five airlines to share new long-haul flights to Washington’s Reagan National Airport

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Five airlines are poised to win permission for new long-haul flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

The Transportation Department has tentatively awarded room for five new daily long-haul flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to five of the nation's biggest airlines while rejecting proposals from some low-fare carriers.

The routes announced on Wednesday would offer more options to travelers flying between Washington and major Western cities including San Francisco and Seattle.

The Transportation Department said it will take comments on its decision until October 30, then allow answers to the comments until November 8.

Many travelers prefer the convenience of Reagan National, which is a short Metro subway ride away from downtown Washington, to Dulles International Airport, located more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of the nation’s capital.

An American Airlines flight pictured landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, DC
An American Airlines flight pictured landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, DC (Getty Images)

Flights longer than 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) to Reagan National are strictly limited by federal law, but under pressure from Delta Air Lines and others, Congress this year approved enough new takeoff and landing rights to support five new daily round trips.

Here are the winning airlines and their planned routes:

— Alaska Airlines, service to and from San Diego International Airport.

— American Airlines, to and from San Antonio International Airport in Texas.

— Delta, to and from Seattle Tacoma International Airport.

— Southwest Airlines, to and from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

— United Airlines, to and from San Francisco International Airport.

The Transportation Department rejected a bid by JetBlue Airways to add another flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The department ruled that Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines weren't eligible because Congress limited the contest to carriers that already operate flights at Reagan National.

The new flights will add to the limited number of current long flights to the close-in airport from cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.