Manchin Says He Is Against Longer Flights From Reagan Airport

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is fighting against changing rules at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that would allow longer flights in.

Manchin wrote a letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the panel's ranking member, against the proposed rule changes to the "Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023."

DCA is currently considered a short haul airport and has 1250 mile distance rule and slot limits to keep things from getting too congested.

According to Manchin, changing these limitations for the airport would have a negative impact on smaller surrounding airports, including those in his state of West Virginia. Scrapping the perimeter rule would lead to more "long-haul flights," the senator warned.

"Changing the perimeter would result in more long-haul flights due to the higher profit margins they command. DCA is a space-constrained airport; should the number of long-haul flights increase, other flights must be eliminated to make room," he wrote.

The Democratic senator also suggested the relaxing of these rules was simply to convenience lawmakers inside Washington D.C. who make regular trips to their home states.

"It is unacceptable to put the connectivity of countless communities to our nation’s capital at risk, simply because of the added to convenience to some Members of Congress who reside hundreds if not thousands of miles across the country," Manchin wrote.

Punchbowl News also reported that a number of airlines including American and United wrote a letter to lawmakers opposing the proposed DCA rule changes.