DCA Act

S 1933, the Direct Capital Access Act (DCA Act), creates 56 new slot exemptions for airlines operating at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. It allows 40 exemptions for major existing carriers and 16 for other established carriers to operate limited flights to airports both within and beyond the airport's perimeter, subject to specific restrictions. Key provisions include banning nighttime operations (10 PM-7 AM), limiting peak-hour flights to no more than 8 additional operations per hour, and prohibiting transfer of these slot rights. The bill explicitly preserves existing within-perimeter flight service, preventing carriers from using current within-perimeter slots to serve beyond-perimeter destinations. This directly affects airlines holding current slots at the airport seeking expanded route options.