Delta wins, Kansas loses if Congress changes Washington DC airport rule | Commentary

As Wichita and the nation recover from the pandemic, it’s important to note that an estimated 158 million U.S. passengers flew commercial airlines this past spring. Some reports showed nearly 2.6 million people flew each day in March and April.

With the bounce back in air travel and Sen. Jerry Moran’s recent appointment as co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, it’s necessary to bring awareness to an effort in Congress pushing for changes to the perimeter rules at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

Today, perimeter exists around Reagan that limits nonstop flights from airports farther away than 1,250 miles. This rule has kept Reagan running efficiently and safely for decades while stopping airlines from prioritizing longer flights from bigger airports.

Changing these rules would allow large, out-of-perimeter cities to connect with Reagan for nonstop flights. This would be harmful to Kansans, as it would severely limit or potentially eliminate access to Reagan from Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and many other regional airports.

Airlines would prioritize more profitable, long-haul service from bigger airports, effectively shutting out smaller airports across the country. Efforts to land a direct route from Eisenhower to Reagan would be squashed and connections would be nearly wiped away.

Such a rule change would almost guarantee additional layovers and travel headaches for those flying from Wichita to visit the nation’s capital. Reagan is simply too small to accommodate larger aircraft. It’s geographically constrained from expanding, occupying just 860 acres, compared to 11,830 at Washington’s Dulles International Airport.

Reagan was never intended to be a long-haul airport. The dual airport system was crafted with this in mind.

The current limitations on flights to Reagan do not put those outside the perimeter at a disadvantage, since Dulles is better equipped to handle longer, higher-capacity flights. However, removing the perimeter restrictions would certainly put Kansas fliers at risk for extended layovers, pricier tickets and more difficult access to Washington.

You may be wondering who would be seeking such a change. That would be Delta Airlines, and you have a right to know why.

A little over a decade ago, Delta sought government approval to give up dozens of slots at Reagan. That’s because the airline had developed a deal to trade slots there with US Airways, in exchange for more slots at New York’s LaGuardia Airport — where Delta maintains a domestic hub.

American Airlines merged with US Airways and inherited its slots at Reagan. Now Delta wants more flights in and out of that airport.

Where do the other airlines stand? Earlier this month, the CEOs of United, American, and Alaska issued a joint statement strongly opposing any changes to the perimeter rule and expressing concern that the changes would “dramatically increase passenger delays and erode the operational integrity of the airport.”

Where do the Feds stand? The FAA has spoken publicly regarding the outcome of a perimeter rule change. According to the FAA, Reagan is “more delay prone than most other airports,” and an increase of 25 daily round-trip flights would increase delays by 33%.

With that knowledge — coupled with a serious look at profits, losses and customer satisfaction — one may deduce that flights to regional airports and smaller cities will get cut in order to keep operations at Reagan functioning smoothly. It won’t be on Day One, but it will happen.

Changing the Reagan perimeter rule would not benefit the airline industry, regional airports or consumers. If Congress wishes to improve and strengthen U.S. air travel, especially during times of increased airline travel, members must focus their efforts on finalizing the FAA Reauthorization bill without changes to the perimeter rule.

I urge Sen. Moran to resist changes to the perimeter rule.

This story was originally published June 28, 2023 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Delta wins, Kansas loses if Congress changes Washington DC airport rule | Commentary."