A bipartisan coalition of 19 U.S. senators recently sent a letter to their colleagues, asking them to not add more traffic to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, overburdening the facility.
Their colleagues are asked to keep the airport in mind as Congress considers appropriations for the U.S. Department of Transportation, reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and potential infrastructure legislation.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was established in 1986 to operate, promote, and protect Reagan National, Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Keeping rules as they currently are will allow Dulles and Baltimore Washington to thrive and grow, the letter said, whereas adding additional traffic to Reagan National would overwhelm baggage and parking facilities while negatively impacting neighboring communities.
“Maintaining operational stability has also achieved balance … so that the broader interests of the region are better served,” the letter said. “Our airports enable Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia to access the global economy in ways that create jobs and opportunities for the region. Part of the rationale for the relocation of major corporate headquarters such as SAIC, Hilton Hotels, Nestle USA, and Volkswagen of America is the connectivity our regional aviation system provides.”