David Schweikert: “First, I really do want to thank the chairman here for his hard work. Let's face it. This is a tough bill to put…”

“First, I really do want to thank the chairman here for his hard work. Let's face it. This is a tough bill to put together. There's a lot of moving parts. And I truly appreciate the diligence that you and your staff have done to ensure that this FAA authorization continues to move forward. The current DCA slots language in the bill does offer some relief to travel restrictions imposed by the DCA perimeter rule. It would make a handful of additional--what's the proper term?--``beyond perimeter'' opportunities available, and those flying opportunities would probably go to new carriers or those with limited presence right now at Reagan National. But there needs to be, and there really should be, more done. My amendment would allow carriers which currently have slots at National Airport to convert flights now servicing large hub airports inside the perimeter zone into flights serving any airport outside the perimeter zone. This approach would result in greater access for communities beyond the perimeter zone without adding any new flights and without jeopardizing service to small- and medium-sized communities. There is substantial support for the idea. There are many other ideas worth considering in this basic concept of dealing with this perimeter zone. The perimeter rule restriction for flights coming in and out of Reagan National really are outdated.…”