New long-haul flights from major cities coming to Reagan National Airport

The Brief

• The Transportation Department has tentatively awarded five new long-haul flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to major airlines.
• Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United Airlines will offer new routes from cities like San Diego, San Antonio, Seattle, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
• Many travelers prefer Reagan National for its proximity to downtown Washington, compared to Dulles International Airport.
• Proposals from low-fare carriers like JetBlue, Frontier, and Spirit were rejected due to eligibility restrictions.

What we know:

WASHINGTON - 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 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 Oct. 30, then allow answers to the comments until Nov. 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.

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.

ARLINGTON, VA - AUGUST 12: A passenger jet is framed in the runway threshold lights on takeoff as another jet lines up for landing in the background at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on August 12, 2024, in Arlington, VA. (Photo by J. David

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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.

Virginia Senators release joint statement: 

In a joint statement released after DOT's announcement, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine wrote: "For months, we warned about the impact of additional flights at DCA, which already has the busiest runway in the country. As these extra flights get forced into DCA over our strong objection, we will be vigilant in exercising oversight to ensure passenger safety is not compromised." 

MWAA statement: "We are monitoring the process with interest."