American Airlines Seeks Approval for Nonstop Flights Between San Antonio and Washington DC

12.07.2024 - 21:16 / travelpulse.com / North America / Brian Znotins / Laurie Baratti

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