WASHINGTON – In the future, you might want to budget a few extra minutes if you fly out of Reagan National because the airport is bracing for an additional 2 million passengers a year.

The surge is in part because of the merger between American Airlines and US Airways. American is giving up takeoff and landing spots used mainly for flights to and from smaller cities.

The Sun Gazette reports other airlines will likely use the slots for service to bigger cities with using larger aircraft.

Reagan National has already been seeing record numbers of passengers and airport leaders say the growth is putting significant strain on facilities.

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