Delta Air Lines announced plans to seek approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate a new flight between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The move follows the recently enacted Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill, which authorizes five new flights at Reagan with beyond-perimeter status. 

Most slots at the airport are subject to a strict perimeter rule, limiting the length of flights and making transcontinental services difficult to operate. However, this spring, the Senate passed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill to allow five more round-trip slots for flights over 1,250 miles in length. President Biden signed the bill into law in May.

Delta President Glen Hauenstein made the announcement at a Port of Seattle press conference to launch Delta’s inaugural nonstop flight to Taipei, marking the airline’s first operation to that city since 2017. 

“Seattle is a crucial hub for Delta,” said Hauenstein. “With today’s Taipei launch,” he said, “we are further solidifying Seattle’s role as our leading Pacific gateway. And by adding a direct flight to our nation’s capital in Washington, DC, Seattle customers will have the additional competition and choice they deserve.” 

Among the other airlines seeking to obtain one of the five new slot pairs in order to launch new daily services from Reagan are: Southwest Airlines (Las Vegas), American Airlines (San Antonio), Alaska Airlines (San Diego) and Spirit Airlines (San Jose).

Image: Shutrerstock