DCA-LAS Slots
ARLINGTON (theHub.com) - US Airways has filed an application with the Department of Transportation to begin flying nonstop between Reagan Washington National Airport and Las Vegas if National Airlines is unable to resume service.
US Airways is seeking slot exemptions previously granted to National, which have not been used for over seven months.
Congress in 2000 created 12 slot exemptions to the 1,250-mile perimeter rule, and DOT awarded National two of them for the Las Vegas service. The carrier, which is currently reorganizing in bankruptcy court, never resumed service on the route when Reagan National reopened following the terrorist attacks last September.
Since then, the airline indicated it would resume the service in August, postponed it until Oct. 3, and postponed it again until Oct. 23 at the earliest.
In its application, US Airways said its proposal “would provide substantial consumer and public interest benefits for air travelers to/from Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.â€
US Airways also noted that it was particularly hard hit by the lengthy closure of Reagan National last fall, as were surrounding communities and airport vendors. The ability to operate one of the beyond-perimeter services “will assist these stakeholders in their post-September 11 financial recovery,†the company said. US Airways would operate the service with 182-seat Boeing 757 aircraft.