Update on the Federal Aviation Authorization (FAA) Reauthorization Bill

Senators from Virginia and Maryland are urging lawmakers negotiating the Federal Aviation Authorization (FAA) Reauthorization bill to omit provisions that would add long-distance flight slots to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a controversial issue that threatened to hold up the bill in the past. A perimeter rule Congress set in the 1960s establishes National as a short-haul airport, limited to flights within 1,250 miles, with some exemptions. In a letter Democratic Sens. Warner (VA), Kaine (VA), Cardin (MD), and Van Hollen (MD) argue that any additional flights would overburden the airport's capacity.