WASHINGTON — The Transportation Department has tentatively awarded space for five new daily long-haul flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to five of the nation’s largest airlines, while rejecting proposals from some low-cost carriers.
The routes announced Wednesday would provide more options for travelers flying between Washington and major Western cities, including San Francisco and Seattle.
The Department of Transport said it will receive comments on its decision until October 30 and then allow responses to the comments until November 8.
Many travelers prefer the convenience of Reagan National, a short subway ride from downtown Washington to Dulles International Airport, 20 miles west of the nation’s capital.
Flights longer than 1,200 miles to Reagan National are strictly limited by federal law, but under pressure from Delta Air Lines and others, Congress this year approved enough new takeoff and landing rights to support five new daily round trips.
Here are the winning airlines and their scheduled routes:
— Alaska Airlines, service to and from San Diego International Airport.
— American Airlines, to and from San Antonio International Airport in Texas.
— Delta, to and from Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
— Southwest Airlines, to and from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
— United Airlines, to and from San Francisco International Airport.
The Transportation Department has rejected a bid by JetBlue Airways to add another flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The department ruled that Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines were ineligible because Congress limited the contest to airlines already operating flights at Reagan National.
The new flights will add to the limited number of current long-haul flights to the nearby airport from cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver.