US Airways to offer Jackson-to-Washington service; replacing Delta

JACKSON — The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has granted US Airways the temporary authority to operate nonstop service from the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) to Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA).

The announcement was made jointly by Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and the chairman of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JMAA), Dr. Glenda B. Glover.

On Jan. 24, Thompson invited Glover and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss the JAN-DCA route and its importance to Mississippi and JAN.

Thompson said, “This nonstop flight to the nation’s capital is extremely important to economic development in Mississippi and the flight will also provide a welcomed financial benefit to Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport. I am extremely pleased that Secretary LaHood immediately followed through on the commitment that he made to airport officials and me by granting the temporary extension.”

Delta Airlines, the only carrier currently offering direct service from Jackson to

Washington, recently announced that it would terminate its nonstop service March 2. Shortly after Delta’s announcement, US Airways petitioned USDOT to begin servicing the Jackson-to-Washington route beginning March 4 on an interim basis.

In 2004, USDOT awarded Delta the use flight “slots” at DCA to exclusively fly the DCA-JAN route. Under the terms of agreement with the USDOT, Delta could not sell or otherwise dispose of the slots. If Delta were to cease the DCA-JAN service, the slots would be returned to the USDOT, which would initiate a carrier selection proceeding to redistribute the slots to a new carrier and/or destination.