WASHINGTON, D.C. — On May 10, 2023, Congressmen Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Burgess Owens (UT-04) introduced The Direct Capital Access Act (DCA Act) that seeks to add 28 in- and beyond-perimeter daily flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in the 2023 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill.
Congress restricted air traffic at DCA in the 1960s — in part to encourage airlines to grow their long-distance flight options from the then-newly built Washington Dulles airport that had just been built in then-rural Virginia — by creating perimeter rule limits.
With few exceptions, the perimeter rule limits the distance that incoming and outgoing flights can travel at DCA to no more than 1,250 miles. As it stands, the perimeter rule is making travel to the Washington, D.C., region more expensive and less convenient for consumers, businesses, and communities.
DCA remains the only airport in the country that is still bound by this outdated federal regulation that caps the number of flights farther than 1,250 miles. If approved, it would be up to each individual carrier to decide how they would want to use their four new slots. The proposed bill does not benefit one single airline but purposefully written to treat all carriers equally, ensuring maximum benefit to the consumer.
“By limiting the number of flights in and out of National Airport, we are squeezing consumers – they are the ones paying the price,” said Rep. Johnson, a senior member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Travelers who want to visit the capital region face the most expensive domestic ticket prices compared to other major markets because of limited competition. The DCA Act will help alleviate that pressure on consumers and the flying public.”
“When a federal regulation becomes so outdated that it unnecessarily hurts American consumers and arbitrarily burdens our nation’s economic growth, it’s time for Congress to act,” said Rep. Owens. “DCA is the only airport in the country stuck with a 60-year-old federal law that restricts the number of nonstop flights beyond a 1,250-mile perimeter, making our nation’s capital one of the most expensive destinations for travelers. Modernizing the perimeter rule will improve access to Washington, D.C., reduce airline ticket prices, and increase tax revenue for the area. I am proud to introduce The Direct Capital Access Act to ensure that families in my district and across the country have the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital.”
To read the bill, click HERE.
To read a recent study of why the perimeter rule to longer serves its original purpose, click HERE.
Original source can be found here.
