D.C. Airports

[maltdizzy]

Doesn't National have restrictions on the number of flights beyond a certain distance? When my folks visited D.C, they came home via Dulles because there were much more (and cheaper) options flying to San Francisco.

1,250 miles. But it seems every congressman/senator either 1) wants to fly direct to DCA or 2) wants to lobby for their local airlines, so they try and force the FAA to add exception routes. So there are flights from/to L.A. and S.F. and some other Western cities, usually at a premium cost.

There are also plane size restrictions and nighttime noise restrictions which curb landings and take off between 10 pm and 7 am. It is not unusual for a large airline running late to be re-routed to Dulles. As of a couple of years ago, the whole airport shuts down at 11:30pm.

 

[RedAngie]

Doesn't National have restrictions on the number of flights beyond a certain distance? When my folks visited D.C, they came home via Dulles because there were much more (and cheaper) options flying to San Francisco.

20 arrivals and 20 departures (40 slots) per day are permitted beyond a 1250 mile perimeter.

Airlines Destinations
Alaska Airlines 8 slots operating as 2x Seattle/Tacoma, 1x Los Angeles, 1x Portland (OR)
American Airlines 12 slots operating as 2x Los Angeles, 3x Phoenix–Sky Harbor, 1x Las Vegas
Delta Air Lines 4 slots operating as 2x Salt Lake City (swapping 2 slots for 1x Los Angeles on April 24, 2017.)
Frontier Airlines 6 slots operating as 3x Denver
JetBlue Airways 2 slots operating as 1x San Juan
Southwest Airlines 2 slots operating as 1x Austin
United Airlines 4 slots operating as 1x Denver, 1x San Francisco
Virgin America 2 slots operating as 1x San Francisco

 

[jevs]

We flew in and out of Reagan.

 

[MillauFr]

Doesn't National have restrictions on the number of flights beyond a certain distance? When my folks visited D.C, they came home via Dulles because there were much more (and cheaper) options flying to San Francisco.

They have flights from Seattle to National so I am not sure there are any restrictions anymore.

 

[bcla]

They have flights from Seattle to National so I am not sure there are any restrictions anymore.

It was mentioned that the exceptions are for 20 arrival and 20 departure slots. There might be some VIP charter flights too. Still - it's not a huge airport with long runways. You wouldn't want to try and get a 747 to take off from there.