WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the FAA Reauthorization Act was signed into law, which allows five additional long-haul flights into Reagan National Airport, giving airlines the ability to establish the direct route between San Antonio and the District of Columbia:

“Despite the fact that my hometown of San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the country, direct flights have not been permitted between ‘Military City, USA’ and our nation’s capital – until now,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This direct route and the opportunities it provides for San Antonio comes thanks to years of hard work by many Texans, and I want to especially commend Senator Cruz for his leadership on this important legislation.”