Some Lawmakers Interested in National’s Perimeter Rule

Watching debates about Washington's National airport is always fun, simply because it's the airport that many members of Congress prefer to use. Every now and then, a debate flares up over the 1,250-mile perimeter rule that prevents longer flights out of the airport, and according to this Washington Post article, that's starting to happen again.

First, a bit of background here on the article, as I think it misses a few key points. While it initially mentions that the purpose of the rule is to reduce noise and pollution, the big reason this rule was put in place was to essentially force people to use the then-new Dulles further out from the city. The same thing happened with LaGuardia and JFK in New York. Personally, I don't think Dulles needs the help anymore. The airport is well-established, and yes, United might lose some domestic traffic here but the airport will in no way lose its status as Washington's major international airport if more long-haul flights out of National are allowed.

Also, the article mentions that for the first time, there can be flights to Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix. This is not true. There are currently some flights that are exempt from the perimeter rule (more political compromise). Alaksa Airlines flies to Los Angeles and Seattle. Frontier Airlines flies to Denver, as does United. Delta flies to Salt Lake City, and US Airways flies to Phoenix.

One only needs to look at these flights when it comes to concerns about increased noise and larger aircraft at the airport. The current flights are operated with Airbus A319s and A320s, Boeing 737-800s, and Boeing 757-200s. All of these aircraft are already used for flights within the perimeter. Plus, since National is slot controlled, if an airline wants to start a new flight it will have to cut an existing one.

Basically, I'm supportive of any moves that will expand National's reach. I'm living in DC this summer for an internship. It costs me less than $5 to get to National on the subway. Roundtrip cab fare to Dulles can easily run someone $150 from downtown DC.

You can read more here.