Reagan National Airport's new long-haul flights coming soon

How it works: Now, airlines will apply to fill those five new slots.

• They are coveted because flights out of DCA are limited to a 1,250-mile radius which restricts the number of nonstop flights to the West.
• San Antonio and San Diego may be poised to fill two of the slots. They are the seventh- and eighth-largest cities in the U.S., respectively, and are not currently served by nonstop service.
• The Department of Transportation has 60 days to approve applications from airlines.

What's next: After approval, nonstop service is expected to begin later this year.

The intrigue: While Delta and Southwest supported the five new slots, some airliners like United were opposed, perhaps because it would hurt their position at Dulles International Airport.

• Now, observers wonder if United will still apply for one of the five slots.

Catch up fast: Last year, a campaign supported by Delta and business groups from the West sought to add 28 additional flight slots.

• But it failed to pass overcapacity concerns and the D.C. region's worry that adding more flights to DCA would hurt the financial viability of Dulles.