Summary
- Spirit Airlines seeks to operate direct flights between DC and San Jose.
- Spirit’s proposed route would take certainly one of five newly-opened slots at Reagan National Airport.
- The tech industry connection between Silicon Valley and DC is the main focus of the airline’s latest service.
Spirit Airlines is applying to operate direct flights between Reagan National and San Jose after the previous airport was granted extra slots as a part of the most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. Several carriers are set to use for certainly one of five latest takeoff and landing slots – that are exempt from the 1,250-mile limit – on the Washington, DC, airport.
Spirit proposes San Jose-Washington route
The ultra-low-cost carrier said in an announcement that it will apply to operate a nonstop service between Reagan Washington National (DCA) and San Jose Mineta International (SJC). Noting San Jose as certainly one of the country’s largest cities and not using a nonstop connection to Washington, DC, it said the route would also deliver more cost-effective travel options for tens of millions of Bay Area residents.
Photo: Spirit Airlines
Matt Klein, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Spirit Airlines, commented,
What’s notable about this route is that it clocks in at around 2,500 miles, which is double DCA’s perimeter limit of 1,250 miles. Spirit Airlines has been at SJC for lower than a 12 months now after launching an initial three routes last June – Dallas/Fort Price, Las Vegas and San Diego – and is on account of start one other three routes next month, with Baltimore, Los Angeles and Portland joining its network.
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Senate Passes FAA Bill Adding 5 Flights From Reagan National Airport Longer Than 1,250-Mile Limit
The move could help to extend the supply of longer routes from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Tech connection
San Jose is at the middle of the worldwide tech industry, home to the likes of Adobe, Cisco, eBay and PayPal. Should Spirit’s request receive approval, this could be the country’s only nonstop route between its capital Washington, DC and Silicon Valley. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said,
Photo: VIAVAL TOURS | Shutterstock
Other airlines in the combination for brand spanking new slots at DCA include Southwest Airlines, which announced on Monday it will be applying for flights between Las Vegas, in addition to American Airlines – which has proposed a service between San Antonio – and an Alaska Airlines flight between San Diego. The proposal so as to add the five slots at DCA led to significant pushback from a bunch of senators, who argued that it will be a security risk at an airport already congested. The FAA could have 60 days to review applications before making a choice.