[WASHINGTON D.C., JULY 10, 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 members of Congress come back to Washington, 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 #3: DCA has one of the highest cancellation rates among the 30 largest U.S. airports
DCA is prone to cancellations, and ranks third on a 2022 list of the highest cancellation rates at America’s 30 largest airports. Even so, a Delta-backed group continues to push for additional flights, ignoring that DCA is at capacity and that more flights would further strain its facilities and undermine its ability to provide safe, convenient service to passengers.
- Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that DCA ranks third on a list of non-carrier caused cancellation rates at the nation’s top 30 airports.[1]
- This 2022 data shows a cancellation rate of nearly 3% for DCA, nearly six times the rate at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which comes in at 20th place with a rate of 0.5%.
- DCA’s 2022 ranking is not an anomaly, as the airport is regularly among the airports with the most cancellations. DCA had one of the top 10 cancellation rates in the country nearly every year since 2012, and was regularly ranked among the top five.[2]
- This comes as no surprise given that DCA is at capacity – servicing 900 flights a day and turning as many as 8 aircraft daily at each of its 58 gates, the recommended industry maximum.
“As the experts have repeatedly stated: DCA is at capacity, leads in flight cancellations, and cannot safely or efficiently accommodate any more flights. Even so, Delta continues to push for more flights to DCA, an irresponsible move that will lead to further delays, cancellations, and congestion, and deteriorate passenger experience at the airport.” – CPARA
Don’t miss the other articles in this series, where we set the record straight on America’s busiest runway, and the importance of protecting passenger safety at DCA.
[1] U.S. DOT Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance database, 2022.
[2] Masflight, 2012-2022.
