Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner have introduced the DCA Air Safety Act, a bill that would cut hourly arrivals at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to no more than 28 and phase out 30 slots over five years. The proposal targets one of the most constrained airports in the United States, with the changes intended to ease traffic at the Washington, D.C. airport after the January 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people.
If enacted, the measure would direct the Federal Aviation Administration to implement the lower arrival cap and remove the slots in stages from 2028 through 2032. At least 26 of the 30 slots would be beyond-perimeter exemptions, which are especially valuable for carriers because they support longer-haul service into the capital region.
The legislation would go further than the FAA’s post-crash operational restrictions and could reshape airline network planning at DCA, where capacity is tightly managed under federal rules. No specific flights have been identified for removal, and the proposal remains subject to the congressional process before any operational changes can take effect.