Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) sits 4 miles south of downtown Washington, DC, on the Potomac River. Commercial service is dominant — KDCA is one of the most slot-constrained commercial airports in the United States, with strict perimeter and slot rules that limit which airlines and which destinations can serve the airport — and the field handles a meaningful but tightly-constrained flow of business aviation. The three runways at KDCA handle most current business jets, with the primary runway 1/19 at 7,169 feet supporting heavy and ultra-long-range operations comfortably; the shorter 15/33 and 4/22 see less use. Signature is the principal private terminal. KDCA business-aviation slots are extraordinarily scarce and require specialized DCA slot coordination — short-notice requests are typically declined and brokers should plan months in advance for KDCA arrivals. The strict perimeter rule (1,250 miles for incumbent slots) and the DCA security framework (post-9/11 procedures including specific TSA arrival processing) add operational complexity beyond what any other US commercial airport requires. Field elevation is 14 feet, no density-altitude concerns. Ground time to downtown DC is 10–15 minutes; Capitol Hill is 15; the Pentagon and Crystal City are 5–10. For most DC-area charter, KIAD or KJYO are the practical alternatives.