May 18, 1999
ALPA, Intl
Committees
Washington-area
politicians argue that more flights at the in-town National Airport would hurt Dulles
International Airport in suburban Maryland and Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
The fight between Western and Beltway interests has been hotly contested in the
nation’s capital but has garnered little attention out West. Beyond America
West’s commercial interests and the convenience of business travelers who fly to
Washington, the issue has drawn little attention in Arizona. But breaking down barriers to
competition is a pocketbook issue that would be a boon to travelers, according to C.A.
Howlett, America West senior vice president of public affairs. “This issue is about
fairness and consumer benefits for the entire West,” Howlett said.
America West, the ninth largest U.S. carrier, could add the first non-stop service from
Phoenix and Las Vegas to National if the flight restrictions were eased. It could also
increase competition in 22 Western markets. Fares would come down dramatically, said Kevin
Mitchell, chairman of Business Travel Coalition, a group that supports increased airline
competition.
America West says its Northeast to West Coast fares are 16 percent lower than the
industry average. Smaller airlines also would benefit by gaining access to National, a
strategic business market the carriers need if they hope to expand their operations,
Mitchell said.
Critics of the Air Transportation Improvement Act, which among other things would add
slots at National and allow cross-country flights into the airport, argue that the
legislation would not cut fares. Instead, carriers would charge more for lucrative
long-haul flights into National than they can for one-stop service into the capital.
The legislation, backed by McCain, has cleared the Senate Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee, and awaits action on the Senate floor. The House is expected to
take up the issue next month. The bill would add up to 48 slots at National, half of which
would allow flights beyond a 1,250-mile perimeter, the maximum for flights into and out of
the airport. The perimeter rule was established in 1966 to ease congestion at National and
to encourage traffic at Dulles.
Competition is a hot issue for the nation’s airlines, with a number of upstart
carriers clashing with the majors. The Justice Department created a stir in the airline
industry on Thursday when it filed an antitrust lawsuit against American Airlines,
charging that the No. 2 carrier illegally drove out competition at its Dallas hub. The
near-monopolies at some of the hubs force business travelers to pay premium prices,
Mitchell said.
By easing restrictions at National, America West could increase options for travelers
in the West and offer the first single-connection service to 14 markets in Arizona and New
Mexico. It’s 1,980 miles from Phoenix to Washington, well beyond the 1,250-mile
perimeter rule. America West’s three daily flights to National stop at its hub in
Columbus, Ohio. That makes America West the only major carrier that can’t fly from
its principal hub to National.
The eased restrictions at National have the support of the Western States Congressional
Caucus and Delta Airlines, which would like to fly non-stop from its hub in Salt Lake
City, according to Howlett. But Beltway residents are unmoved by the arguments. When
planes fly over Don MacGlashen’s home in Chevy Chase, Md., the jet noise thunders so
loud that conversation stops if he’s out on his patio. Residents along the Potomac
River, who are closer to the flight path, endure a near-constant rumble of aircraft from
National Airport, said MacGlashen, a retired electronics systems engineer and a member of
Citizens for Abatement of Aircraft Noise.
“We take a dim view of Senator McCain trying to impose more flights on National
because what those flights do is create more noise,” he said. National’s
location just 15 minutes from Capitol Hill makes it a premium-cost airport, and travelers
should be willing to pay extra for that convenience, MacGlashen said, adding that
long-haul, lower-fare flights are available into Dulles and BWI.
Trey Hardin, a spokesman for Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., said the congressman is opposed to
additional slots at National and easing the perimeter rule because of the noise and safety
concerns of northern Virginia residents. The changes also would disrupt an economic
balance between National and Dulles airports, he said.
A 1998 study by George Mason University concluded that Dulles would lose up 3 million
passengers a year and as many as 5,400 jobs if the perimeter rule were lifted and slots
added at National. America West’s Howlett disputes that, arguing that Dulles and BWI
are separate markets that would be unaffected by the easing restrictions at National.
Dulles has grown about 7 percent annually over the past five years and it’s
ridiculous to suggest that new slots at National are going to have a major impact on
Dulles, he said.
Slot controls also are under scrutiny at Chicago’s O’Hare and New York’s
LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports. Patrick Murphy, deputy assistant secretary at the
U.S. Department of Transportation, said earlier this year that slot controls and the
perimeter rule are no longer required for aviation reasons. McCain said every objective
study, including those from the General Accounting Office and the Transportation
Department, has concluded that the slot restrictions and perimeter rule are barriers to
competition that hurt consumers. The major airlines, including American and United, have
cozy relationships at the Washington-area airports that they don’t want overturned by
new competition.
As for aircraft noise, McCain said the new slots would require use of quieter Stage III
aircraft. McCain also dismissed allegations that he’s only interested in America
West. “I resent the allegation that I would favor any hometown company or
interest,” McCain said. The Arizona senator also said he managed to live for 17 years
without a non-stop flight to Arizona and will continue to do so. He has vowed not to use
the non-stop service if it becomes available.
| McCain Sponsoring Bill to Ease Limits at Reagan Airport by Peter Corbett, The Arizona Republic |
||
| For America West Airlines and Sen. John McCain, the battle to ease flight limits at Ronald Reagan National Airport is about competition, lower air fares and improved service to Phoenix and other Western cities. Residents in Washington, D.C., suburbs oppose legislation that would add flights at National because of noise and safety concerns. And they’re angry with McCain for pushing for more flights, claiming he’s acting in his own self-interest, as well as that of America West and his constituents, at their expense. |