[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12633-12634]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 DIRECT AIR SERVICE BETWEEN LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AND WASHINGTON'S 
                        REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORTS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2001

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, today 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).

[[Page 12634]]

  This legislation is necessary because the Department of 
Transportation (DOT) 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.
  Mr. Speaker, 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.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

                          ____________________