As Frontier Airlines looks to expand long-distance flight options at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the Denver-based company has turned to Hogan Lovells for help.
Hogan is advocating for the airline on landing slot access at Reagan National, according to a lobbying registration report the firm submitted to Congress this week. Frontier has asked the U.S. Transportation Department to allow it to offer daily, round-trip service between National and Colorado Springs, Colo., with a same-plane connection to San Diego.
The federal government restricts the number of flights that provide nonstop service between Reagan National and cities that are more than 1,250 miles from the airport. President Barack Obama in February signed into law legislation that gives the Transportation Department the authority to add four, long-haul round trips from carriers that would be new to the airport or have a limited presence there.
No airline currently offers a direct flight from National to the municipal airport in Colorado Springs. The city, which is located about 70 miles south of Denver, is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy and other major military instillations. Frontier currently has flights that provide nonstop service from Reagan National to airports in Denver; Milwaukee; Kansas City, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; Madison, Wis.; and Grand Rapids, Mich.
Hogan partners Jeffrey Munk and Robert Glennon, as well as firm counsel Kate McAuliffe, are handling the account. McAuliffe directed questions to Hogan partner Robert Cohn, who submitted Frontier’s long-distance service application.
Cohn, as well as Munk and Glennon, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. A Frontier representative didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Frontier hasn’t used a firm in Washington to lobby for it since 2009, according to congressional records. Wiley Rein was the last firm to advocate for the airline.
Comments