One of the reasons that prices remain so high for plane tickets is that while prices have been deregulated, airports have not been and are subject to many bureaucratic whims.

One of the most galling examples is at Reagan National Airport in Washington, the only airport where Congress sets the number of daily incoming and outgoing flights. That rule, in place since 1966. The number of flights to the West Coast is highly restricted because of arcane and outdated federal regulations known as the “perimeter rule.”

We’ve been arguing for more flights in and out of the newly renovated Reagan Airport (DCA) for many months. We put together a coalition of leading conservative voices for added flights:

Monday marked a partial victory on this issue when the Senate FAA bill authorized 10 more daily slots (5 inbound and 5 outbound) for nonstop flights beyond the 1,250-mile “perimeter.”

The full Senate still needs to approve the compromise – but overall this is a win for passengers as more nonstop flights means greater convenience, more choice of airlines, and cheaper prices. The big loser is United Airlines which wants to force people to truck (30 miles) out to Dulles (which is a United hub) for West Coast flights.

Kudos to Ted Cruz for leading this effort in the Senate.