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1 1 (February 6, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/govesjt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Reagan National Airport Slot and Perimeter Rules and Exemptions Authorized in 2024 February 6, 2025 The deadly midair collision on January 29, 2025, between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) has prompted discussion over congestion and aviation safety at the airport. In May 2024, a provision in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-63) authorized 10 additional daily slot exemptions at DCA. Some local residents and some Members of Congress have argued that additional flights pose safety risks and noise concerns. Airlines flying to and from DCA are subject to slot and perimeter rules set by federal law and regulation (49 U.S.C. §41718; 14 C.F.R. 93.123). A slot is an instrument flight rules (IFR) reservation required for each takeoff or landing. By controlling the frequency of takeoffs and landings, a slot system is sometimes put in place at airports with capacity constraints to help ensure safety and optimize efficiency. DCA is federally owned, and federal law and regulation set the total number of flights that are allowed in a given period oftime (e.g., hourly) at DCA. A round-trip flight serving DCA would require two slots, or a slot pair. Flights to and from DCA also are restricted by a statutory perimeter rule that limits nonstop flights to a 1,250-mile distance unless they are granted a waiver (also known as exemption) by law. Flights of 1,250 miles or less are referred to as within-perimeter, while flights ofmore than 1,250 miles are considered beyond-perimeter. The perimeter rule, which dates to the opening of Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in the early 1960s, was originally designed to move most long-distance airline traffic serving the Washington, DC, area to IAD. DCA is limited to a maximum of 67 hourly slots for flights both within- and beyond-perimeter. This maximum was established through a combination of federal regulations and statutes. Regulations at 14 C.F.R. §93.123 established 60 hourly slots at DCA; statutes have granted an additional maximum of 7 slots and have permitted slots to be used in different hours. The DCA slot rule has existed for over two decades, although the statutory limitations on the number of slots available have been modified over that period. Prior to congressional action in 2000, all slots for flights arriving or departing DCA were required to operate within-perimeter. As part of FAA reauthorization legislation in 2000, 2003, and 2012, Congress Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12504 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress