If you live in Accokek, Fort Washington, Oxon Hill, or Brandywine, Maryland, noise and pollution from aircraft taking off and landing at Regan airport will worsen. You may ask how much worse it can get; It can get a lot worse if Congress allows changes to Reagan National Airport’s High Density (slot) and perimeter rules. The proposal to the FAA reauthorization act would allow more frequent flights of larger aircraft to use Regan Airport. The additional flights will fly over our communities and add to the noise and pollution we are exposed to daily.

Contact Congress! - Ask your elected officials to protect the perimeter and strengthen the unique role of regional airports by opposing any changes to Reagan National Airport’s High Density (slot) and perimeter rules. Go to this link and follow the instruction to send a message to your representatives in Congress. Contact Congress!

Text of message you can send to your congressional representative: Using this URL Contact Congress!

Sending to:

Rep. Steny Hoyer
D-MD

Sen. Chris Van Hollen
D-MD

Sen. Ben Cardin
D-MD

I’m writing to urge you to protect America’s regional airports by opposing any changes to Reagan National Airport’s (DCA) High Density (slot) and perimeter rules.

Since 1986, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has managed DCA and Dulles International Airports (IAD) as a single system with complementary roles, with DCA designated as a regional, short-haul airport and IAD serving as a long-haul airport. When Congress established MWAA, it entrusted this entity with overseeing operations of the airports and MWAA is strongly opposed to any changes to the slot and perimeter rules. That’s because the rules were created out of concern for DCA’s limited physical size and capacity and its proximity to noise-sensitive residential areas, as well as to ensure DCA fulfilled its objective of providing access to the nation’s capital for regional airports and smaller communities within the perimeter.

Changes to the slot and perimeter rules would incentivize airlines to substitute shorter flights for more profitable long-haul service. Communities that rely on direct air service to DCA or to IAD for connections to international destinations would suffer if these changes were implemented.

MWAA has repeatedly stated and research shows that DCA is at capacity. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agrees that additional slots at DCA would significantly increase delays. Increasing the number of slots at an airport with significant constraints on its space and geography raises concerns over safety, congestion, delays, cancellations and other operational matters.

For these reasons, I support the two-airport system overseen by MWAA and am calling on you to oppose any changes to DCA slot and perimeter rules.

If you want to write an original Letter opposing any changes to Reagan National Airport’s High Density (slot) and perimeter rules, this is a template you can use: