
<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1


                        DART GROUP CORPORATION ANNOUNCES
                 CONDITIONAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE
                              WITH HERBERT H. HAFT

               LANDOVER, MD., April 22, 1997 -- Dart Group Corporation (Nasdaq:
DARTA) announced today that it has reached a conditional settlement agreement
in principle with Herbert H. Haft, the Company's founder and its present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  If the settlement contemplated by the
agreement in principle is implemented, Herbert Haft, 76, will retire from his
positions as Chairman of Dart and its three major operating subsidiaries:
Shoppers Food Warehouse Corp., Trak Auto Corporation and Crown Books
Corporation.  Mr. Haft also will relinquish his claim to voting control of
Dart.

               Under the settlement contemplated by the agreement in principle,
Herbert Haft would sell to the Company all of his shares of stock and stock
options in Dart, Trak Auto and Crown Books.  The settlement also would
terminate Herbert Haft's employment agreement with Dart and would resolve all
outstanding litigation and disputes between Dart and Herbert Haft.  Mr. Haft
would also assign certain real estate interests to the Company.

               Herbert Haft will receive $29.7 million from Dart if the
settlement is implemented.  Herbert Haft would also receive an additional $11.6
million from escrowed funds previously paid by Dart to Ronald Haft as part of
its October 1995 settlement with Ronald Haft (and $700,000 interest on those
funds).  The agreement in principle also contemplates that Dart would make a
$10 million loan to a partnership owned by Herbert and Ronald Haft, which loan
would be secured by such partnership's interests in three shopping centers
located in suburban Washington, D.C. and would be personally guaranteed by
Ronald Haft.

               Implementation of the agreement in principle is subject to the
negotiation of a definitive settlement agreement satisfactory to Dart and
Dart's receipt of satisfactory advice from its investment bankers.  The
agreement in principle states that it will terminate if a definitive settlement
agreement is not entered into by May 9, 1997.  The agreement in principle is
also conditioned on Dart's entering into a supplemental settlement with Ronald
Haft and a comprehensive settlement with Gloria, Robert and Linda Haft.
Negotiations with respect to these related settlements are currently underway.

               Closing of the transactions contemplated by the agreement in
principle also is subject to (1) final and non-appealable action by the
Delaware Court of Chancery or the Delaware Supreme Court approving all of the
terms of the





                                  Page 8 of 9
<PAGE>   2
settlement, terminating certain putative derivative actions pending with
respect to Dart in the Delaware Court of Chancery, and approving the October
1995 settlement between Dart and Ronald Haft and the supplemental settlement
between Dart and Ronald Haft, and (2) final and non-appealable action by the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court approving the effectiveness of Chapter 11 plans of
reorganization for certain real estate entities owned by Mr. Haft and members
of his family.

               There can be no assurance that a definitive settlement agreement
between Dart and Herbert Haft will be entered into and that the transactions
contemplated by the conditional agreement in principle will be implemented.

               In its negotiation with members of the Haft family, Dart is
represented by the Executive Committee of its Board of Directors, comprised of
Larry G. Schafran, Chairman, Douglas M. Bregman, Esq. and Bonita A. Wilson.

               For further information, contact Larry G. Schafran
(301-731-1502).





                                  Page 9 of 9
