If you take a good look at the departure board at Ronald Reagan National Airport on any given day, you may notice something unusual. Very few of the airport’s hundreds of flights are bound for
cities west of Dallas or Minneapolis. That’s because Washington National (DCA) has the distinction of being only one of two US airfields (the other being New York LaGuardia) with a “perimeter” or restriction on how far an airline can fly nonstop from the airport. This quirky limit has been in place for more than half a century with its roots in efforts to reduce congestion at the dawn of the jet age in the early 1960s.
At its 1966 inception. the perimeter at Washington National, contrary to the popular narrative, was only partially instituted to boost the then-relatively new Dulles Airport. The reason was to alleviate congestion at National itself after the introduction of jet aircraft that April. Prior to that time, the airport was the exclusive domain of propeller-driven planes like the Douglas DC-6 and the Lockheed Constellation. When the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permitted airlines to begin flying Boeing 727s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9s to National, passenger numbers soared as the new jet aircraft were mostly larger than the propeller planes they replaced. This prompted calls for the FAA to address the congestion. “Since the FAA opened National to smaller jetliners on April 24, traffic there has mushroomed, taxing beyond the capacity of the terminal, its parking lots and the patience of its patrons,” the Washington Post reported in June 1966, less than two months after the first jets landed at the field.
William McKee, FAA Administrator in 1966, first proposed a strict 500-mile perimeter that July. But, many airlines and Congressional representatives balked at that limit saying it wasn’t far enough. Throughout the debate, the perimeter was acknowledged as a way to ensure National remained a short or medium-haul airport with Dulles serving longer routes. “The perimeter solution was proposed by ten of the thirteen airlines serving Washington National Airport as an effective way of solving the congestion problem, “ said McKee in a letter to Congress dated July 27, 1966 and published in the Congressional Record. That compromise set the perimeter at 650 miles and it was implemented that September.
By the mid-1980s, Congress had expanded Reagan National non-stop service to 1,250 statute miles. However, since the year 2000, Federal Government authorities have granted airlines forty “perimeter exemptions,” or twenty round trip flights, since one exemption is good for either a take off or landing. Today, every airline out of the airport, with the exception of Air Canada, holds an exemption for service to destinations farther afield, including Los Angeles, Seattle and even San Juan in Puerto Rico. That means Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines have all been granted exemptions. The perimeter regulations are part of the two-airport system maintained by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The authority considers National a "regional" facility, with regional being defined as serving the Eastern and Midwestern US, while its larger sibling, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), is the long-haul gateway.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, many additional flight restrictions were put into effect at Washington National because of its proximity to the seat of American Government. Regulations included requiring passengers departing or landing at the airport to remain seated for thirty minutes following takeoff or prior to landing, submitting all passenger manifests to the Arlington-Virginia based Transportation Security Administration (TSA) more than one day prior to departure, and increasing the level of inspections for aircraft bound for the field. However, these restrictions were slowly lifted over time as the threat to national security decreased.
At Reagan National today, a key strategy for limiting aircraft noise exposure over the broader region is to maximize aircraft movements over water and minimize aircraft movements over more densely populated communities. The FAA issues arrival and departure procedures, that comply with the region's prohibited airspace restrictions, to generally position aircraft over the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, when air traffic and weather conditions permit. DCA airport has two operating patterns: "North Flow" and "South Flow.” When operating in North Flow, planes arrive from the south and depart to the north. In this pattern, they often pass over Accokeek and Fort Washington in a concentrated band, and then take a straight shot down the river to Runway 19. When operating in South Flow, planes arrive from the north and depart to the south. Arriving in this pattern, they'll follow the twists and turns of the river to the north of the city so as to minimize noise over neighborhoods such as Potomac and Georgetown.
There are many restricted areas around the city of Washington, DC resulting from the abundance of government structures and memorials in the nation’s capital. Buildings such as the White House and the US Naval Observatory (residence of the Vice President), as well as the memorials on the National Mall, all have restricted airspace surrounding them. Therefore, approaches into DCA have been limited to a path which basically follows the Potomac River. Lights have been placed on the bridges along the river to assist pilots in their approach into the airport. The views of the landing or takeoff from DCA are often spectacular. I’ve been fortunate to spot any number of important locations such as the Washington and Lincoln Memorials on the National Mall, the Pentagon in Arlington, Georgetown University and even CIA headquarters in Langley!
Despite a plethora of rules and regulations, the airport remains popular with travelers due to its close proximity to the city and the frequency of flights to roughly half the country. And it continues to expand and improve operations. In December, a major milestone in the airport’s Project Journey Capital Improvement Program occurred with the opening of a new concourse serving as home to American Airlines’ regional operations. “The opening of the new concourse is the culmination of years of work by thousands of employees who overcame numerous challenges and the seismic changes of a global pandemic to deliver a world-class passenger experience at Washington, DC‘s airports,” said John E. Potter, president and chief executive officer of the Airports Authority. “The airport’s $1 billion investment to transform the traveler experience inside the terminals at the gates and along the roadways will bring a new era of travel to American Airlines’ customers, who can now board regional jet aircraft from jet bridges instead of through Gate 35X.” Prior to the opening of the new concourse, passengers reached regional jets parked in 14 outdoor boarding areas by riding in buses to the airfield from the dreaded Gate 35X. Included in the new concourse are various types of seating, many with electrical outlets, for 850 passengers, as well as 14,000 square feet of concession space, four public restrooms, four moving walkways, two mother’s care rooms, an indoor pet relief area, new airline office space and a new baggage-handling system.
National Airport first opened for business back on June 16, 1941. President Franklin Roosevelt attended a ceremony and observed the first official landing. The airlines drew straws to determine who could land at National Airport first, and American Airlines won the honor. The plane was piloted by Bennett H. Griffin, who later became the airport manager in 1947. From those early days, the airport grew with the nation’s capital. Reagan National Airport served almost 25 million passengers in 2019 before the pandemic struck and appears to be well on its way to recovery as this post publishes nearly three years after its onset.
Until next time…safe travels.
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