Political Quotes

“Mr. President, every 5 years, Congress comes together to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration--FAA. This reauthorization includes legislative changes related to aviation safety, new technology, support for the aviation industry and its workforce and more. In July 2023, the House defeated an amendment to the bill proposing the addition of 14 flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport--DCA. However, the Senate Commerce-approved bill includes an amendment to introduce 10 additional flights to the airport. This proposal to add flights at an already strained DCA would adversely affect service quality, increase delays, and lead to more cancellations for all passengers. Yesterday, DCA experienced a close call as two planes narrowly avoided a collision. This incident echoes a similar incident in March 2023 where two planes almost collided on DCA's runway. These near- misses underscore the critical need to safeguard the airport from additional flight operations. DCA was originally designed to accommodate 15 million passengers. The airport is now projected to handle 25 million passengers this year. In 2022, DCA ranked third in the Nation for its high cancellation rate among the busiest airports. Today, approximately 20-22 percent of flights departing and arriving at the airport are affected, leading to an average delay of 67 minutes. The DCA slot-perimeter rule serves as a crucial mechanism for managing congestion and restricting nonstop flights at DCA.…”