Alaska Airlines is expected to bring daily nonstop service to San Diego Airport (SAN) from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), pending approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
While the airline already connects the West Coast to Reagan with nonstop service from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the new flight would be the only nonstop flight connecting San Diego and Reagan International, according to a statement from Alaska Airlines.
The DOT tentatively approved the round-trip flights on Oct. 16, following a three-month waiting period after Alaska Airlines formally applied July 9. An official takeoff date for the flights has yet to be announced.
“San Diego is the largest market without nonstop service to Reagan National Airport,” said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines chief commercial officer. “This new route would not only connect Southern Californians to our nation’s capital, but it would also provide seamless connectivity on Alaska Airlines’ diverse routes allowing guests to connect through San Diego.”
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The Alaska Airlines’ 183-page application comes after the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024, in which five flights were added to increase direct service to the nation’s capital, according to Alaska Airlines.
“The San Diego region has waited for a very long time for an opportunity to restore nonstop air service to Reagan National Airport,” said Kim Becker, president and CEO of the San Diego International Airport.
