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Guest Commentary: July 7, 2001
Preserve Direct Air Service Between Los Angeles & D.C.
The Honorable Jane Harman
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I have been joined by a bipartisan group of my colleagues in introducing legislation to preserve direct air service between Washington's Reagan-National Airport (DCA) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
This legislation is necessary because the Department of Transportation decided to eliminate this critical service last Friday. Instead of permitting American Airlines, which purchased TWA, to have the TWA slots to continue to fly this route, the Department awarded them to Alaska Airlines, which will use them to start nonstop service between Washington and Seattle.
The Department's decision disappointed tens of thousands of Californians and other passengers who have come to rely on this route and its connections to Bakersfield, Fresno, Monterey, Oakland, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and elsewhere in the state.
Without this route, Los Angeles will be the largest U.S. city without non-stop air service to Washington's Reagan-National. In fact, California, the most populous state in the Union, will have no direct connection to DCA.
Earlier this year, 57 Members of Congress -- including House Majority Leader Dick Armey and Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and most Members of the California congressional delegation -- wrote the DOT in support of American Airline's efforts to preserve this critical service.
The legislation introduced today allows American Airlines to use two existing slot exemptions for service between Washington's Reagan-National and Los Angeles. As such, it does not increase the total number of flights at Washington's Reagan National and permits Alaska Airlines to fly direct to Seattle.
Californians rely upon nonstop air service between Los Angeles International Airport and Washington's Reagan-National Airport. Without congressional action, this convenient nonstop air service will end in September.
Note: This column has been adapted from a speech Rep. Harman delivered on the floor of the House, June 28, 2001.
 How to contact Rep. Jane Harman (D-California)
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