Boise wants to add flights to this East Coast city. An act of Congress may make it happen
The Boise Airport’s prospects of obtaining another nonstop flight to the East Coast got a much needed boost this week after Congress passed a bill to fund the Federal Aviation Administration that included more routes to Washington, D.C.
Although Idaho did not receive a guarantee of one of the new flights slotted into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the provision puts the Treasure Valley in the running. The airport last year added direct trips to and from Washington on its short list of priority destinations, and local airport officials said they were pleased with passage of the FAA bill.
“The five additional slot exemptions at D.C.’s Reagan National Airport included in the bill provide an opportunity to secure nonstop service to the nation’s capital,” airport spokesperson Shawna Samuelson said in an email to the Idaho Statesman.
Airport officials plan to attend a conference next week to meet with a dozen commercial airlines in pursuit of new Boise routes, she added.
“A large focus of those meetings will be on the importance of nonstop service between Boise and D.C.,” Samuelson said.
The funding bill, which also sets the FAA’s policies for the next five years, garnered overwhelming bipartisan support in both congressional chambers. President Joe Biden signed it into law Thursday.
“The bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization is a big win for travelers, the aviation workforce, and our economy,” Biden said in a statement. “I want to thank members of both parties who worked together over many months to pass this long-term reauthorization.”
The Senate passed the FAA bill last week with support from Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both Republicans. With limited opposition, the House then passed the bill Wednesday, including votes in favor from Idaho Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher.
The two Republican House members also previously voted last year in support of an amendment to the bill to grant the additional flight slots into Reagan National Airport. The amendment failed in a close vote before the provision was restored in the final version of the reauthorization bill.
“Our nation’s capital should be easily accessible for Americans nationwide,” Simpson said. “I am pleased the FAA reauthorization includes five new slots for direct flights to Reagan National Airport, significantly increasing travel options for those in the West. I am proud to have supported the push for more flights connecting our fellow Westerners to Washington, DC.”
Fulcher’s office did not respond to a request from the Statesman.
Boise Airport looks to expand East Coast flights
Delta Air Lines offers Boise’s only East Coast flight, with its daily nonstop route to Atlanta. JetBlue Airways, which no longer serves the Boise Airport, previously offered a summer flight to and from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, but the seasonal route was discontinued in 2021 after just one year.
Boise has sought the return of a direct flight to the Northeast ever since. The airport maintains an out-of-state priority destination list that includes New York City; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Honolulu; and Anchorage, Alaska.
“Air access to our nation’s capital continues to be a top priority for our region, and the Boise Airport has prioritized air service to the East Coast due to passenger demand,” Rebecca Hupp, director of the Boise Airport, previously told the Statesman.
About 15% of the Boise Airport’s passengers have final destinations on the East Coast, according to airport data. Delta’s nonstop flight back and forth from Atlanta serves only a portion of them.
The Boise Airport set a new annual passenger record in 2023, with more than 4.7 million air travelers passing through its terminal. The airport is on pace to break its passenger total again, already with all-time highs in the months of February and March, airport data showed.
