Protecting the DCA Perimeter

What are the DCA Slot and Perimeter rules?

The long-standing slot and perimeter regulatory structure is essential for maintaining the operational and economic balance between the small, space-constrained and over-crowded Reagan National (DCA) and the much-larger Dulles International (IAD), which is equipped to handle bigger planes and longer flights as the region’s growth airport.

The Slot rule manages congestion by controlling the frequency of takeoffs and landings.

The Perimeter rule limits nonstop flights at DCA to 1,250 miles from Washington, unless the government has granted an exception. Of the airport's 800+ daily flights, there are already 40 flights that meet this exception. With a record number of flights and passengers, the existing rules are needed now more than ever.

What could happen if the DCA Slot or Perimeter rule is changed?

We believe congressional proposals to add more flights at DCA will add to congestion, delays and stress on airport infrastructure and will erode the passenger experience that makes the airport so popular. Because of the short length of its runways, over 90 percent of DCA’s flights use its main runway, making it the busiest runway in America with over 800 daily takeoffs and landings, which is a takeoff or landing every minute during most of the day. Making the nation’s busiest runway even busier is a bad idea. In fact, the FAA estimated that adding just 25 round-trip flights to DCA would add to delays by more than 30 percent. Read the FAA's memo here.

Congestion – DCA’s gates are heavily utilized. There is no room to expand the airfield for planes to take off, land and taxi. Roadways easily become congested, and parking facilities frequently fill up, making travel more stressful and challenging. Adding more flights would make this problem even worse.
Safety – DCA has a narrow, restricted corridor for take-offs and landings. Pilots routinely rate DCA among the nation’s most challenging. Spacing between each flight is required to keep operations safe. This translates into more delays if flights are added, especially in bad weather.
Size – DCA has one short main runway, with no room to expand. Its land is only a fraction of the area of the area’s other two commercial airports. It’s just too small to fit all of the flights that airlines want to send to Washington.

What changes are being proposed?

The proposed legislation would add new beyond-perimeter flights each day to DCA – exacerbating congestion and passenger inconvenience. The Airports Authority that manages DCA and IAD has joined a coalition with many allies who agree it doesn’t make sense to add more planes to an airport that was never built to handle them in the numbers we are seeing today.

Is DCA an underutilized airport?

DCA handles more passengers today – 25 million a year – than at any time in its history and more than Washington’s other two much-larger and better-equipped airports. DCA was designed to handle 15 million passengers a year and is now at its limit for most of the day. DCA also has the busiest runway in America. The over-utilization of DCA can be seen in its crowded terminals and gate areas, overtaxed baggage facilities, gridlocked roadways and often-full parking lots.

Is DCA the only airport that provides access to Washington?

No. The region’s two other major airports – Dulles and Baltimore-Washington International – can serve any destination with no restrictions. The argument isn’t about anyone’s access to Washington – it’s only about getting more flights at their airport of choice.

Do DCA’s new facilities provide capacity for more flights?

No. Project Journey, which added a concourse and moved security checkpoints to new areas, helped DCA passengers in two ways. A new 14-gate concourse replaced 14 outdoor boarding areas, where about 6,000 passengers a day rode buses to planes. It did not create any additional gates or flight capacity. In addition, new TSA checkpoints improved passenger flow inside the airport.

Will ticket prices go down if more planes can fly to DCA?

There is no solid evidence to support this claim. Airlines can set ticket prices however they choose. Adding more flights and passengers at DCA would require upgrades and expansion of baggage facilities, parking lots, roadways, gate areas and other facilities. The costs of all these new facilities would result in higher costs for airlines and higher ticket prices for DCA customers. Yet there would be no new runway and taxiway construction, as there is no more room to build them.

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