Bryan Rindfuss
The FAA's latest reauthorization bill would clear the way for direct flights between San Antonio International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, but the city will need to convince air carriers that it makes economic sense.
The package includes 10 additional round-trip flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, something sought by the Alamo City's congressional delegation. San Antonio has long been the largest U.S. city without direct flights to D.C., and lawmakers argued that the expansion would benefit thousands of area military personnel and business people who regularly fly to the nation's capital.
Legislators from regions around Washington National fought the expansion, arguing it could create safety risks and increase delays.
At the end of the day, however, the legislation passed on a 387-26 vote days after the Senate granted its approval. The bill next goes to President Joe Biden, who's expected to sign it into law.
“Today’s bipartisan vote to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration is great news for San Antonio, military families and the small businesses that power our economy," U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, said in an emailed statement.
"After President Biden signs this reauthorization into law, I look forward to working with our delegation to make sure San Antonio secures the direct flights we need to support our servicemembers and bring more jobs and business to our city," Castro said.
However, changing the law may only be part of the battle, aviation experts said.
The Alamo City still must convince air carriers that its traffic levels warrant direct flights to Reagan National. Among U.S. airports, San Antonio International ranked a paltry 45th in 2022 air-passengers volumes, according to FAA data.
What's more, American Airlines — Washington National's dominant air carrier — would be the only airline with the capacity to add San Antonio flights into the airport, Denver-based Aviation consultant Michael Boyd of Boyd Group International told the Current last fall.
“So, that's the bottom line of the whole thing — whether or not it gets down to this — [is whether] American Airlines wants to do it,” Boyd said. “Not Delta, JetBlue, Spirit."
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