Bill allows direct service between Vegas, D.C.

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, March 8, 2000 | 10:03 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Congress is close to approving an airline industry bill that could bring more tourists from Washington D.C. to Las Vegas.

"Clearly, this is a significant boost to Southern Nevada's tourism industry," Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said in a statement Tuesday.

Bryan and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., introduced the "perimeter rule" amendment to a bill that sets a $40 million budget for the Federal Aviation Administration, allows airports to increase passenger fees and increases flights out of New York, Chicago and Washington.

Las Vegas observers are particularly interested in the amendment that would add 24 new take-off and landing "slots" at Washington's Reagan National Airport, the more convenient of Washington's two airports because it is closer to the Capitol.

Twelve of those routes would be longer than 1,250 miles under the Bryan-McCain amendment, which effectively erases an old rule that prohibited flights beyond that radius from National Airport.

The perimeter rule was initially put into effect to stimulate growth at Dulles International Airport when it opened in suburban Washington in 1962.

"The real-world effect of this outdated rule had been to deny access to an important East Coast market by many communities in the West, including Las Vegas," Bryan said. "The lifting of this unfair rule will almost certainly create new opportunities for non-stop service between Las Vegas and Washington's most convenient and popular airport."

The Senate and House today were still hammering out a few differences on the FAA bill, which President Clinton must sign before it becomes law. The full Senate was scheduled to vote on the bill today; a House vote could come as early as Friday. But Bryan aides said it is likely the perimeter amendment will remain intact.

The amendment opens the door for Las Vegas-based National Airlines to bid on the Washington slots. The Department of Transportation ultimately decides which airlines get the slots.

"We think this is great," said Kevin Tourek, a vice president at National Airlines. "We've been watching this closely and we are going to apply for six of the slots -- three round-trips into Washington National."

National has been expanding its service since its launch last year. The airline already serves Chicago and New York, as well as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia and Miami.