Eleven more roundtrips authorized for Reagan National Airport DERRILL HOLLY Associated Press WASHINGTON - Eleven more roundtrip flights are being added at Ronald Reagan National Airport, with most for service beyond the airport's normal 1,250 mile perimeter. U.S Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced on Thursday that nine airlines were awarded 22 takeoff or landing slots on the airport's operation schedule. "These awards will provide a greater variety of fare and service options for leisure and business travelers across the country who wish to fly to the doorstep of the nation's capital," Mineta said. Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix and Seattle now are destinations that can be reached from the airport without changing planes. Air Tran can add one round trip flight to Atlanta. Comair, a Delta subsidiary, may add either one flight to Jackson, Miss., or one to Lexington, Ky. Midwest Airlines gains a flight to Kansas City, while Spirit Airlines can now serve Detroit. Arlington-based U.S. Airways may add one roundtrip to Asheville or Wilmington, N.C., or Chattanooga, Tenn. Alaska Air, America West, Frontier and United also gained slots and are cleared to expand existing hubs. Transportation officials noted Spirit and AirTran's low-fare service enables travelers going to Detroit and Atlanta to benefit from increased competition. The service expansions were long sought by members of Congress, particularly from the middle south and western states. The Vision-100 Century of Flight Aviation Act, signed into law by President Bush last year, expanded service to destinations more than 1,250 miles away and provided eight more slots within that distance. Preference was given to new carriers or new nonstop service to small hub or non-hub airports. Roger EWROPS