Dept. of Transportation OKs direct flight between San Diego and Washington DC

San Diego International Airport will soon have a direct flight to Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, thanks to approval Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Alaska Airlines will run the direct flights to the coveted location, after proposing the route when the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed. The airline will allocate additional flights to and from heavily regulated Reagan National — also known as DCA.

DCA is significantly closer to the nation’s capital than the next nearest airport, Dulles International.

“We are very pleased with the DOT’s approval of Alaska Airlines to begin service between SAN and DCA,” said Kimberly Becker, president and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. “This route will provide significant convenience for our defense, biotech and communications sectors that require efficient access to the nation’s capital.

“We appreciate the DOT’s thoughtful analysis, and we are grateful to the many elected officials, industry sectors, and communities who spoke up in support of this service,” she added.

Due to DCA’s much closer proximity to Capitol Hill, the White House and other important buildings in Washington, D.C., the DOT requires that nonstop flights from cities farther than 1,250 miles get special approval.

Before Tuesday’s decision, San Diego was the nation’s largest market without nonstop service to DCA.