Thursday, May 15, 2003 | 9:48 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev., helped persuade their colleagues on the House Transportation Committee to approve legislation aimed at increasing flights between Las Vegas and the nation's capital.
The provision would increase from 12 to 36 the number of takeoff and landing slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reserved for long-distance flights. The slots are reserved for flights traveling more than 1,250 miles to and from National, essentially flights serving the Western United States. National is the most convenient of three airports that serve the capital.
Nevada lawmakers hope airlines serving Las Vegas would apply for the open slots and ultimately shuttle more East Coast tourists to Nevada.
The provision was attached as an amendment to a broader spending bill for the Federal Aviation Administration, which the House Transportation subcommittee on aviation issues approved Wednesday.
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