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Thanksgiving thru Christmas - 2005 Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., who led the hearing, predicted that any action on the law would occur in 2006 at the earliest and said he would work within the time frame of a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, set for 2007. In Dallas, Mayor Miller said she preferred a gradual phase-out over a period of time. "I don't want it to disappear overnight. I believe that if we just say the Wright Amendment is going to stay here forever, then Southwest won't keep its headquarters in Dallas. If I were them, I wouldn't either, because they can't grow here." She also added, "We have to guarantee that Love Field won't grow," From Fort Worth's perspective, the biggest fear is that Love Field grows." Terry Mitchell, assistant director of operations at Love Field, said it could be hard to get approval from the FAA to limit capacity after Love Field has already proved that it could handle enough traffic for 32 gates. "You can't just arbitrarily do it. If you want to go back and restrict it, then you really must have a strong case for doing it." Meanwhile, Congress approved legislationthat put the first dent in the Wright amendment since 1997, when Alabama, Mississippi and Kansas were added to the exempted states. This new exemption would create a test case for a contentious show-down between American and Southwest. A transportation spending bill, which was expected to receive President Bush's signature, would make Missouri the eighth state that could be served with interstate commercial service from Dallas Love Field. Southwest planned to start service from Love Field to Kansas City and St. Louis once the legislation was signed, and would aim to demonstrate it could boost traffic and slash fares on those routes with its low-cost business model. Southwest's Ed Stewart wouldn't say how long they would need to launch new flights. The company would first have to advertise new service, put equipment in place and arrange new schedules before it could start flying. "But believe me, the weather will still have a chill in the air," he said. The Missouri exemption came after efforts by Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., to allow through-ticketing from Love Field to states that weren't exempt from the restrictions. Instead, his fellow senators agreed to remove Missouri from the flight restrictions and hold last week's hearing. Sen. Bond said in a statement, "I am pleased that I was able to exempt Missouri from this anti-competitive, anti-consumer policy." "We will be watching very closely what actions the committee takes in the coming year." North Texas and D/FW "will feel the economic repercussions of degrading the hub," said Kevin Cox, the DFW's chief operating officer. Pat White, co-chair of the Love Field Citizens Action Committee, which was concerned about noise and traffic in the neighborhoods around the airport said, "I can't imagine Southwest will stop with Missouri." President Bush signed the bill into law the Wednesday after Thanksgiving and Southwest Airlines Co. wasted no time in announcing the following day that it would launch service from Dallas to St. Louis and Kansas City on Dec. 13, operating four daily nonstop flights to each city with a fare of $79 each way for tickets bought 14 days in advance and $129 each way for unrestricted tickets. After months of threatening to move service to Love Field, it was time for American airlines to put up or shut up. They put up. In addition to St. Louis and Kansas City flights, American said it would add American Eagle service to Austin and San Antonio beginning March 2, 2006. On cue, the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram asked How much competition will move from D/FW to Love depends on how hard American wants to push the issue and on available gate space at Love. The stakes are high, and Love has an edge: 57 percent of D/FW customers live closer to Love. Losing a big share of business could greatly harm the big airport that has been such a benefit to the North Texas economy. Right now, gate space is limited by Dallas' airport master plan, and folks say there's no reason to think that will change. But they said that about the Wright Amendment, too. Both, after all, are just words on paper. And American Airlines? The Star Telegram reported: In a weird role reversal, it played the weak-kneed victim, calling Southwest an 800-pound gorilla and announcing new service at Love -- starting in three months. Reluctantly, American said, it would cut 31 flights at D/FW Airport, including all service to six cities. Even the nonstop to Lima, Peru, is history. Why is D/FW so worried about an airport that's one-tenth its size, landlocked by dense neighborhoods and surrounded by pockets of gridlock? Every time there's a setback in the Wright wars, D/FW turns into Chicken Little. After Southwest started Missouri service, DFW's Kevin Cox said the move "greatly weakens the overall quality of air service for travelers here and around the United States." "This should serve as a solemn and ominous warning for those who would seek to reopen Love Field to additional long haul service -- there are very real and serious economic consequences for all of North Texas," he said in a statement. It's that kind of whining that prompted Holly Hegeman, editor and publisher of Planebusiness.com, to rename the airport. "DFWaa-Waa didn't miss yet another chance to make itself look foolish," she wrote last week. "It makes you want to get the shovel and start shoveling. Right after you slap 'em." If sympathy for Ft. Worth wouldn't work, how about a little distraction?
Love Field money woes revealed the Star-Telegram reported. The shortfalls were attributed primarily to passenger traffic levels, which are still down 18 percent since 2000, according to the FAA and $59 million in debt taken out in 2001 to build a new parking garage The debt is scheduled to be paid off in 2011. "When that goes away, the situation gets better," Aviation Director Kenneth Gwyn said. "It's not a comfortable situation, but we're working to rectify it." Ed Stewart, spokesman for Southwest Airlines, said Love Field's financial problems could be eased by repealing the Wright Amendment, Between 2001 and 2003, Love Field boosted fees for parking, terminal rent and ground leases. But landing fees have gone untouched for some time. The article reported that Love Field charged 35 cents per 1,000 pounds landed, By comparison, Dallas/Fort Worth Airport charges $4.94 per 1,000 pounds. and Alliance Airport in Ft. Worth charges $1.15 per 1,000 pounds. |
| Here Comes Southwest
Tune - Here Comes Santa Claus (Sung by Southwest to Kansas City & St. Louis)
Here comes Southwest
Here comes Southwest
AA says they'll
Kansas City (Keep on fightin' Wright) (yeah!) |
| This site was started by an Austin flyer and is dedicated to North Texas residents and employees of Love Field and Southwest Airlines who are working hard to get this law repealed. This site is not affiliated with Southwest Airlines, Dallas Love Field or the City of Dallas.
For more information on the Wright Amendment and to find out how you can help, please visit the following websites.
 
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