Southwest to apply for new non-stop flight from Washington to Las Vegas

Southwest Airlines will apply to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a new, daily nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (LAS). The carrier is seeking one of five new round-trip flights made available at DCA through the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. A statement from Southwest explained the application: “The airline's forthcoming application will propose to provide the only one-stop, same-plane/no change service between DCA and Sacramento International Airport (SMF) via LAS. “The direct flight between California's capital and the nation's capital would maximize the competitive and consumer benefits of the DCA route”. Southwest plans to operate the proposed service seven days a week on a Boeing 737 aircraft with 175 seats. ""Southwest has a long history of connecting people across the nation with important moments in their lives through competitive airfares, friendly and flexible policies, and the unmatched Hospitality of our People,"" said Bob Jordan, President & Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Airlines. ""We look forward to demonstrating to the DOT that Southwest's proposal will maximize benefits to the traveling public. We believe Southwest's proposed new DCA-LAS nonstop service will lower fares and increase access for the nation's capital, Las Vegas, and western states."" ""As the chair of the subcommittee overseeing tourism and a member of the aviation subcommittee that helped write the FAA reauthorization bill, I've been working to bolster our national travel and tourism industry by increasing the flight slots to and from DCA,"" said US Senator Jacky Rosen. ""I'm glad to support Southwest's application to provide nonstop service between DCA and Harry Reid International Airport because bringing more flights to Las Vegas creates more options for visitors to come to our state and helps sustain critical tourism jobs.""