Spirit Airlines. in partnership with San José Mineta International Airport (SJC), announced it will apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch new, nonstop service between SJC and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Spirit is pursuing the one round-trip for limited incumbents authorized at DCA through the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden signed into law the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization package that includes the addition of 10 long-haul flights daily at Reagan National Airport. Many airlines will be looking to fill these slots with long-haul flights.
If approved, the new Spirit route will provide travelers with the only nonstop, low-fare service between Silicon Valley and the nation’s capital. The service would also boost competition by introducing a low-fare competitor and offering Bay Area travelers more choices to reach the Washington, D.C. area. San José is one of the largest cities in the nation without nonstop service to Washington, D.C., and this new flight from SJC would offer a closer, more convenient option for millions of residents.
“Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C., share significant ties in the technology industry. New nonstop flights between the airports that sit at the heart of these two communities would make travel easier and foster opportunity for better collaboration between these influential markets,” said Matt Klein, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Spirit Airlines. “Our San José Guests have truly embraced Spirit during our first year of service at SJC, and we appreciate the support from the SJC team and our community partners in pursuing this new service.”
“In today’s digital age, there is perhaps no place more important for our national leaders to access than the capital of Silicon Valley,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “San José is home to the experts and entrepreneurs at the forefront of AI, data privacy and CHIPs Act implementation who are writing the code for the future and establishing best practices to navigate that future.”
“We’re excited to partner with Spirit to secure highly demanded, nonstop service between SJC and DCA,” said SJC Director of Aviation Mookie Patel. “DCA is a uniquely well-positioned gateway to both the center of federal decision-making in Washington and the booming tech center in the surrounding region. Together with SJC’s unmatched reliability and convenience for Silicon Valley – and Spirit’s low fares – this proposed service will provide travelers between two important markets with an exceptional customer experience end-to-end.”
Spirit launched service at SJC in June 2023 and currently offers nonstop flights to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Las Vegas (LAS) and San Diego (SAN).