[WASHINGTON D.C., JULY 7, 2023] – Reagan National Airport [DCA] is at capacity. That doesn’t seem to matter to a Delta-backed group that is recklessly pushing for more flights at DCA despite opposition from aviation experts, the local airport authority, and hundreds of other businesses, airports, and local officials from all over the country.
As we head toward the Senate Commerce Committee’s markup of the FAA Reauthorization bill, CPARA is fact checking false and misleading claims that are being used to irresponsibly push for more flights at DCA. As the experts have made clear, DCA is at capacity and Delta’s “DCA Delay” bill will bring the airport to a standstill.
FACT CHECK #2: DCA ranks third in the nation for runway incursions.
Reagan National Airport [DCA] ranks third among the 30 largest airports in America for runway incursions, or when an aircraft, vehicle, or person is unauthorized to be on a protected area designated for aircraft landing or take off. This is a clear passenger and crew safety issue, but dismissed by a Delta-backed group that is pushing to change the DCA slot and perimeter rules to add even more flights to an airport already at capacity. You have to ask – why would a Delta-backed group try to add even more flights to America’s busiest runway if it’s clear these efforts would make safety concerns and congestion even worse at DCA?
- According to the FAA’s Runway Safety Office, DCA ranks third in runway incursions among the 30 largest airports in the country.
- The airport averages more than 4 incursions for every 100,000 scheduled operations – six times the number of incursions experienced at Orlando International Airport, which averages less than 1 incursion for every 100,000 operations and ranked 30th.[1]
- These incursions are attributable to factors including runway-related and other airside constraints.
- This comes as no surprise given that DCA is at capacity, serving 9 million more passengers per year than it was designed to handle. DCA also has physical and geographical limitations as it sits on only 733 acres of land compared to 12,000 at nearby Dulles International Airport [IAD]. DCA’s runways are about half as long as IAD’s, though both airports serve more than 20 million passengers per year.
“Delta’s self-interested push to change the DCA slot and perimeter rules ignores the fact that more flights means more risk for passengers and crew at DCA. The prevalence of runway incursions at DCA further proves what the FAA, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority [MWAA], aviation experts, local officials, and so many others have been saying: DCA is at capacity and cannot safely accommodate more flights.” – CPARA
[1] Source: FAA Runway Safety Office – Runway Incursions [RWS] Database; OAG published schedule.
