Tag Archives: ronald reagan washington national airport dca

Southwest Airlines files for DCA slot exemptions for Houston Hobby-Washington Reagan National authority

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) today announced it has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for slot exemptions that would allow Southwest to offer nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). The proposed service is possible due to Spirit Airlines’ discontinued use of the slot exemptions, which are available for use inside Washington National’s traditional 1,250 mile service perimeter.

Southwest’s application points out that current average fares for nonstop service between Houston and Washington National are more than 60 percent higher than Southwest’s average nonstop fare between Houston and Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), a similar distance. Southwest projects that its proposed HOU-DCA service would attract tens of thousands of new Passengers and save consumers millions of dollars annually.

As part of the effort to bring a low-fare alternative to the HOU-DCA market, Southwest is unveiling www.Southwest.com/HOU-DCA.

A decision by the DOT is expected in the first quarter of 2013. Southwest is prepared to begin service this spring if awarded the slots.

Southwest has served Houston since June 18, 1971, and currently has more than 2,700 HOU Employees serving 143 flights every day. Earlier this year, the Houston City Council approved the carrier’s proposal to construct a new five-gate international facility at Hobby Airport. This new service is scheduled to begin in 2015.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. Boeing 737-7H4 N281WN (msn 36528) with special 500th Boeing 737 Aircraft markings arrives at Washington (Dulles).

Southwest Airlines:

Southwest announces nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) announced today it will begin service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) with two daily nonstop roundtrip flights starting on September 30, 2012.

Southwest Airlines began service to DCA on July 8, 2012, with daily nonstop roundtrip service to Austin. The new STL service is made possible by Southwest’s recent purchase of four inside-perimeter slots at DCA.

Southwest Airlines also has been expanding its presence in St. Louis, a market the carrier has served for more than 25 years. Southwest is the largest carrier at STL with DCA being its 34^th nonstop destination out of the market. Southwest recently added flights between STL and markets such as Newark, Nashville, New Orleans, Raleigh-Durham, Milwaukee, and Seattle. The carrier also will begin service between St. Louis and both New York LaGuardia and San Antonio beginning on August 12, 2012.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. Brand new Boeing 737-8H4 N8305E (msn 36683) lands at Baltimore/Washington. Southwest is adding the new type on its main routes.

Southwest:

JetBlue today adds new Florida routes from both New York LaGuardia and Washington Reagan National

JetBlue Airways (New York) today (June 11) launches new service from New York’s LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to points in Florida, increasing flights at both centrally-located airports by eight roundtrips daily to 16 or more roundtrips by this summer.

At LaGuardia, JetBlue now offers daily service to three new Florida destinations including Fort Myers (RSW), Sarasota/Bradenton (SRQ) and Tampa (TPA). Tampa will be served twice-daily while Fort Myers and Sarasota/Bradenton will each be served with one daily flight. In addition, JetBlue is doubling its LaGuardia to Orlando service, adding two more daily flights for a total of four. The carrier is also adding one more flight to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood for a total of six daily flights and adding a second flight to West Palm Beach.

At Washington’s close-in Ronald Reagan National Airport, JetBlue is adding three more daily roundtrips to Boston for a total of ten per day. JetBlue also added service between Reagan National to Tampa as well as two additional flights to both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. In addition, the carrier will be serving new ‘capital-to-capital’ service from Reagan National to San Juan, Puerto Rico starting August 23.

The growth is made possible by the airline’s acquisition of slots through an FAA auction.

In other news, JetBlue and Air China announced to day a new agreement.

Air China and JetBlue will initially offer interline connections between their networks at New York/JFK as well as at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Tickets are expected to go on sale later this summer. Subject to government approval, Air China this autumn plans to enter into a codeshare with JetBlue and place its “CA” designator on flights operated by JetBlue.

Air China offers one daily flight from New York and two daily flights from Los Angeles to Beijing Capital International Airport. In addition, separate from the JetBlue interline, the airline flies once-daily from San Francisco and Vancouver to Beijing.

The carrier’s LAX flights are operated aboard the brand new fleet of Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, which will also be deployed on the JFK route effective October 1, 2012. The “Triple Seven” features eight Forbidden Pavilion First Class luxury suites, 41 Capital Pavilion Business Class flat beds and 259 economy seats with individual monitors and AVOD (audio-video-on-demand) entertainment system.

Top Copyright Photo: Stephen Tornblom.

JetBlue Airways: