The senators from Maryland and Virginia indicated Monday that they would oppose the chamber’s Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill if it adds long-distance flight slots to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, saying the airport is already at capacity.
Under a perimeter rule by Congress set in the 1960s, National is essentially a short-haul airport, limited to flights within 1,250 miles with some exemptions. Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and Benjamin L. Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland have opposed proposals from Delta Air Lines Inc. and lawmakers like Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., to add as many as 28 additional flight slots into the airport and 28 out, a total of 56.
The senators said at a Monday news conference at National that the extra flights would overload an airport already at capacity and siphon customers from the Washington Dulles International Airport, which has no flight restrictions but is located roughly 30 miles from downtown Washington. National is fewer than 5 miles away.
