San Antonio Reort
by Shari Biediger
https://sanantonioreport.org/will-th...flight-to-d-c/
Jenn Hussey’s Washington, D.C., condo, where she often travels for a visit with her elderly parents, is only two miles from the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. But Hussey’s flight path always takes her to Dulles International Airport instead, a 27-mile trip by car or train from the Virginia suburb to her condo. She often makes the same trip from San Antonio for her job as a methadone clinic accreditor and it’s equally inconvenient. “Easily, it’s 45 minutes to an hour and that is like if the traffic gods have aligned,” she said.
For years, federal law has limited how many direct flights go in and out of Reagan National, forcing inbound and outbound San Antonio travelers to choose Dulles or even Baltimore-Washington International Airport. But, in an effort to increase the affordability and efficiency of air travel and strengthen economic growth in the region, a campaign is underway to change the rules as this fall Congress takes up the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization bill. It’s an opportunity that comes along only every five years, and though past attempts have failed, officials believe this time could be different for the San Antonio International Airport.
The law limiting flights to airports within a 1,250-mile perimeter of Reagan National, which is owned by the federal government, has been in effect for decades. Houston is inside the perimeter while San Antonio is 1,600 miles from the capital. Through the years, a few exceptions have been made, which include Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. But other major U.S. cities like San Antonio have been shut out by what is an “antiquated rule,” said Brian Walsh, spokesman for Capital Access Alliance, a nationwide coalition of groups pushing Congress to act.
“There are a lot of people who understand that the reason you don’t have a lot of long-distance flight choices out of [Reagan National] is actually a rule that was passed by Congress in the 1960s,” Walsh said. “And it was primarily implemented at the time to protect Dulles airport.” It was a protectionist measure to drive development to the area near the airport, but that area has tripled in size in the last 20 years, he said. “It’s just a much different situation than it is today,” he said. Walsh said the Alliance realizes that Congress likely won’t eliminate the perimeter rule altogether.
“We’re focusing on what’s politically feasible in this environment,” he said. “So we are making the case [to update] it to help meet the demand we’re seeing from states like Texas and Washington State and elsewhere by doubling the amount of flights that go in and out of Reagan each day.”
Three San Antonio business groups, including the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, have signed on to support the Alliance, along with Greater:SATX.
In its efforts to increase nonstop air service at the San Antonio airport, the economic development nonprofit has targeted European destinations first and D.C. second, said Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, president and CEO of Greater:SATX. “It’s been tough to prioritize that route tactically because of this perimeter rule,” she said. “If and when that goes away, D.C. from a domestic perspective is number one by far.”
Unlocking nonstop air service to Reagan National, also known by its airport code DCA, would be a “game changer” for many reasons, she said, starting with the access needed by San Antonio’s large military and Department of Defense presence, cybersecurity operations and aircraft manufacturing and maintenance sector. “For me, this is more than a potential for upside corporate recruitment investment,” Saucedo-Herrera said. “This is about existing businesses in San Antonio having connectivity with with the capital region and also about potential new investment downstream.”
Greater:SATX is also supporting the City of San Antonio’s attempt to persuade Congress to expand the perimeter rule. Though the city has not joined the Alliance, it is actively lobbying for the cause. “We know this is going to be a heavy lift,” said Sally Basurto, director of the city’s government affairs department, at a recent meeting of the council’s intergovernmental relations committee.
In 2012, Congress authorized only eight new slots for Reagan National, bringing the total to a current 60. Each route is considered a slot, so San Antonio would need at least two to establish incoming and outgoing service.
Then, five years later in 2018, San Antonio had another failed shot at DCA when U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) offered an amendment to a House bill that would have allowed airlines with nonstop routes into Reagan National to swap out an existing route for one that flies to cities outside the perimeter.
Earlier this month, representatives from Utah and Georgia introduced the Direct Capital Access Act (HR 3185), legislation that would add 28 additional flights, within and beyond the DCA perimeter.
Basurto cited a study commissioned by the Alliance that showed the perimeter rule is outdated and is making travel in and out of DCA more expensive and time-consuming. Expanding the number of long-distance flights could reduce ticket prices by an average $60, the study showed, and generate at least $400 million in economic benefits and $70 million in added tax revenues.
Lawmakers opposed to the change in slots and perimeter rules charge that their out-of-state colleagues are only looking out for themselves. United Airlines, which operates from about 70% of the gates at Dulles, also appears to be against any changes, Walsh said. “We know that there’s going to be great opposition to this national effort, but we do appreciate the attention being brought to it at the national level,” Basurto said.
In April, the city worked to get a letter signed by a bipartisan delegation of Texas congressmen sent to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee urging them to authorize more direct flights from South Texas to DCA. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican whose district includes San Antonio, also testified before the committee. “This is a great milestone that we have accomplished and we will continue to work with them on our future action items and strategy,” Basurto said. Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle said the city is not partnering with the Alliance because its strategy to eliminate the perimeter rule “may be too heavy of a lift.”
“The second issue is, we’re not married to a particular airline yet, either,” Coyle said. The Alliance is partnering with Delta Air Lines in its efforts. “We may ultimately work with American or Southwest or United — or Delta — and so we’re cautiously talking to and appreciating the work that they’re doing,” he said. San Antonio airport officials are talking with the airlines because demand is high, said Brian Pratte, chief air service and marketing officer for the San Antonio Airport System.
Before the pandemic, about 200 passengers a day flew from SAT to DCA and the same number the opposite direction. About that number also flew to and from Dulles and Baltimore airports, he said. “San Antonio is the second largest market that is not served from DCA and that’s based on existing demand,” he said. “We’re closely behind San Diego. You can imagine both cities being military cities, we’re both very eager to get that.”
Pratte confirmed he has talked with airline partners about DCA service. “Yes, there’s interest in serving the route,” he said. “When airlines are looking at potentially profitable opportunities, they want to put those assets where it will make money and this is certainly one of those opportunities.” Walsh of the Alliance said this go-round is the most nationally organized effort he has seen at getting more Reagan National flights than he has seen in 10 years and that could spell success for San Antonio. “The expectation broadly is that when you consider the demand that exists in Texas, [San Antonio] would be one of the cities that the airlines would look would look at very closely,” Walsh said. But, “this is really going to be won or lost at the grassroots level.”