Breaching the Perimeter (The Economist) →

Reagan Washington National Airport will soon see new flights to San Francisco and San Diego and a few more flights to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, with four new round trips set to be picked this month. Good news all around. I love DCA, both for its architecture and design as well as for how easy it is to reach from the center of Washington D.C.

Happily for busy Washingtonians, the Federal Aviation Administration’s recent reauthorisation includes a loosening of DCA’s perimeter rule. The number of services to destinations outside the perimeter will increase by two-thirds. The airport’s four big incumbents, Delta Air Lines, US Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines, will each exchange an inside-perimeter flight for a longer one. San Francisco (United) and San Diego (US Airways) will be added to the destination board, and Los Angeles (American) and Salt Lake City (Delta) will each get a new round trip. Four new round trips will go to airlines with limited or no presence at DCA. Seven carriers have submitted proposals; federal regulators will pick the winners this month.