Congress Considers Reopening DC Airport To Corp. Jets

Led by the Virginia delegation, a group of congressmen last month introduced legislation that would direct the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reopen Reagan Washington National Airport to general aviation operations. Nearly identical versions of the bill have been referred to transportation committees within both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Despite the stated intent to resume normal operations, general aviation—including corporate jet services—has been barred from Reagan Washington National since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks more than three years ago.

"If the government was able to find conditions under which commercial aviation could operate out of Reagan National following Sept. 11, I see no reason why similar conditions or requirements could not be developed to allow for general aviation to also begin work again," said Sen. George Allen (R-Va.). "Since Sept. 11, 2001, air charter operations have participated in a rigorous security program that makes their operations just as safe, if not safer, than those of commercial airlines."

Congressmen Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.), along with representatives from the District of Columbia and three other states, co-sponsored the House version of the bill which, like the Senate version, "requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement standards" that would allow non-scheduled aircraft flights in and out of the airport. Reagan Washington National previously handled corporate aviation operations but its close proximity to key sites in the nation's capital led to the current ban.

The bill would require DHS, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, to implement "reasonable requirements to ensure the security of operations at the airport" no later than 180 days after the legislation passes. The requirements may include screening of general aviation flight crews, advance clearance of passenger manifests by the Transportation Security Administration and physical inspection of passengers, baggage and aircraft. Another proposal includes limiting where incoming general aviation flights may originate and possibly require all Reagan National-bound private flights to first land in a gateway airport for screening.

"Given the unique location of the airport, stakeholders in the general aviation industry are willing to comply with virtually any rational government policy that would grant access to Reagan National," Allen said in his remarks introducing the bill last month. He also said general aviation at the airport generated roughly $50 million in direct economic activity and that its absence negatively impacts hotels, restaurants and many other businesses in the area.

"Having general aviation flights return to Reagan National is the final, critical step in completely restoring air service to the Washington area," Davis said in a statement. "The region's congressional delegation has worked in a concerted, bipartisan manner with the Administration to try to restore full operations to Reagan National, but after nearly three-and-a-half years of trying, we now feel it is necessary to introduce legislation to make this happen."

Executives from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the National Business Aviation Association welcomed the proposed legislation, introduced nearly a year after the Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation held a hearing on the matter. In that March 2004 hearing, then acting TSA administrator David Stone warned of scenarios in which terrorists could use general aviation access at the airport to attack targets in the capital region. "Therefore," he said, "any reopening will require implementation of adequate security procedures."

Neither the Senate committee nor the House committee on transportation and infrastructure at press time had scheduled hearings on the legislation.