The Delta Air Lines-led Capital Access Alliance (CAA) has commended the introduction of a bill in the US House of Representatives aimed at relaxing medium-haul restrictions at Washington National (DCA) by authorising 28 additional flights to be divided amongst airlines serving the airport.

The Direct Capital Access Act, known as the DCA Act, is to address an outdated perimeter rule from 1966 that pertains only to Washington National (also known as Ronald Reagan National Airport), which limits the number of flights that can land or take off each day outside a radius of 1,250-miles (2,011 kilometres). The CAA wants the US Congress to authorise additional direct flights to and from the airport when they take up the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorisation Bill in autumn 2023.

Only seven airlines are currently authorised to operate just 20 daily round trips to 10 beyond-perimeter destinations to/from the airport. "Based on its April 2023 schedule, DCA has roughly 437 daily departures, meaning just 4.5% of those flights are beyond-perimeter. Even if 28 additional flights were added per day, and all of them were authorised for beyond-perimeter destinations, only 10% of DCA's daily departures would still go beyond 1,250 miles. The DCA Act provides an equal number of flights to the domestic air carriers that service DCA, which in turn benefits communities in and out of the perimeter," the Capital Access Alliance said in a statement. According to the CAA, a relaxation of the current restrictions could result in 800,000 to one million more passengers per year being connected by non-stop flights to beyond-perimeter markets from Washington National.

According to a recent study released by the CAA, relaxing the rule would also lower fares from Washington National as competition is currently restricted. "Washington DC has the most expensive domestic ticket prices compared across the top 10 US metropolitan areas. Less competition costs consumers more than USD500 million annually in above-average flight prices," it stated.

Founded only two weeks ago, the CAA comprises diverse members from around the country and various industries, including transportation, general business groups, the small business sector, entrepreneurs and job creators, organisations focused on economic development and leaders in the civic and policy communities.