Relaxing the perimeter and high-density rules: implications for Washington Dulles International Airport

The Perimeter and High-Density Rules have been the foundation upon which the physically limited capacity of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been allocated. The perimeter rule at National Airport requires nonstop scheduled airline flights from that airport to serve destinations within a 1250-mile perimeter. The distance limit was initially introduced for a combination of reasons including environmental conservation (especially with respect to noise nuisance) and the desire to offer some protection for other airports in the Washington DC area as they built up traffic to reach a critical mass. The US Senate has recently taken actions to adjust the perimeter rule at National Airport. Any major relaxing of the rule will have implications for the other major airports in the National Capital Region; namely Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore–Washington International Airport. The resultant knock-on effects of this development on the wider economy of the region is examined here. The main attention of the paper is on the impact of any major change in the perimeter rule on Washington Dulles International Airport, and on the subsequent knock-on effects this would have on the region's employment level and structure.