In a significant
move to enhance connectivity, American
Airlines has applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to
launch daily nonstop flights between San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
and Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). This development follows the 2024
FAA reauthorization bill, which allocated five new roundtrip flights to DCA.
San Antonio,
recognized as the fastest-growing city in the United States and a key military
hub, currently lacks nonstop service to DCA—the most convenient airport for
those traveling to Washington
D.C. This new route is set to fill that gap, offering greater convenience
for travelers heading to the nation’s capital. The addition will complement
American’s existing 25 daily departures from SAT to seven other U.S. cities,
enhancing San Antonio’s overall connectivity.
In addition to making
Washington D.C. more accessible via nonstop flights, American will also provide
one-stop connections to various destinations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and
Canada by way of DCA.
“American is proud
to submit an application to provide the only nonstop service between San Antonio and Washington, D.C.,”
said Brian Znotins, American Airlines’ Senior Vice President of Network and
Schedule Planning. “This new service will expand American’s industry-leading
domestic network connecting customers to the places they want to visit most.”
“We have a
historic opportunity to increase San Antonio’s access to the nation’s capital,
which is particularly
important for the members of our military community who rely on air
connectivity for operational needs,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
“Nonstop access to the nation's capital will strengthen our economic ties with
leaders in Washington, D.C. and enable greater collaboration with the Pentagon,
other federal agencies and leading research institutions.”
The DOT
application has garnered strong support from the San Antonio community, with
over 150 letters backing the proposal from bipartisan policymakers, local
officials, chambers of commerce, military organizations, advocacy organizations
and nonprofits from across the region.
“San Antonio is home to 82,000 active-duty military and
civilian support personnel, tens of thousands of veterans and is the
seventh-largest city in the U.S.,”
said Congressman Chip Roy. “American’s partnership with San Antonio
International is valuable to the people of our community and the ability for
Texans to access a direct flight to our nation's capital.”
“American’s
commitment to delivering the City of San Antonio a direct flight to Ronald
Reagan Washington National Airport represents an important step not just for
the residents of Military City USA, but the entire Lone Star State,” said Sen.
Ted Cruz. “I am proud to have led the fight to help deliver the five long-haul slots that we
included in this year’s FAA reauthorization bill, and I will continue to
press the U.S. Department of Transportation to quickly approve American's
application for the San Antonio route.”
American Airlines
plans to use special flight numbers to honor San Antonio’s rich history and
military heritage, with Flight 1718 commemorating the city’s founding year and
Flight 1947 celebrating the establishment of the U.S. Air Force.
American’s proposed
SAT-DCA operations:
| Flight | Departure
Airport | Departure
Time | Arrival
Airport | Arrival Time |
|
1718
|
SAT
|
6:35 a.m.
|
DCA
|
10:59 a.m.
|
|
1947
|
DCA
|
7:45 p.m.
|
SAT
|
10:20 p.m.
|
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