The six members of Utah’s all-Republican congressional delegation say they support an effort to add flights into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The bill to add flights is sponsored by Rep. Burgess Owens, who represents Utah’s 4th Congressional District, and Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia.
In an interview with the Deseret News in May, Owens said he is worried about the cost of travel to the nation’s capital, and said he believes it would be good to introduce more competition into the marketplace. The bill, which would be added to legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, would open up 28 additional flights into the airport.
“My hope, my goal, particularly because of how cutting edge the Salt Lake City airport is, we think we will get one of those slots,” Owens said last month.
Both of Utah’s senators, Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, and the three other congressmen, Reps. Blake Moore, Chris Stewart and John Curtis, say they support the bill because they think travel to the nation’s capital should be affordable.
“Government by the people should be accessible by the people,” Lee said in a press release. “I’m proud to support Reps. Owens and Johnson’s efforts to expand the number of flights out of Reagan National Airport. More options will reduce ticket prices and generate millions in economic benefits, making our nation’s capital more accessible and affordable for all Americans.”
Romney pointed out that the perimeter rule at the airport — a 1960s-era restriction on the number of flights that can come into and fly out of the airport if they’re coming from more than 1,250 miles away — makes flights more expensive, “particularly for those who live in Western states.”
With an over 2,000-mile distance between Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., flights in and out of Utah have been affected by the limit.
Curtis said that adding direct flights to the airport could have the effect of reducing emissions, “making it a win for both travelers and the environment.”