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Dallas Love Field

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This article is about the airport. For the neighborhood, see Love Field, Dallas, Texas (Neighborhood).
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Dallas Love Field (IATA: DAL, ICAO: KDAL, FAA LID: DAL) is a public airport located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of the City of Dallas, in Dallas County, Texas, USA. The airport covers 1,300 acres and has three runways. Love Field was the primary airport for Dallas until 1974, when Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport opened. Love Field is now Dallas' secondary airport and serves as a fortress hub for Southwest Airlines. American Airlines and Continental Express also offer service from Love Field.

History

Prior to 1960

Love Field was opened on October 19, 1917, constructed just southeast of Bachman Lake. It was named after First Lieutenant Moss Lee Love, who died in an airplane crash in San Diego, California. Love Field was opened to civilian use in 1927.

In 1936, Braniff Airways moved its headquarters to Love Field.

Love Field's terminal building was dedicated on October 20, 1957 and was opened to airline service on January 20, 1958. The complex initially had three one-story concourses that were equipped with 26 ramp-level gates. Airlines serving the airport at the time included American, Braniff, Continental, Delta and Trans Texas (later Texas International).

Jet-powered operations began on April 1, 1959 when Continental Airlines introduced the Vickers Viscount turboprop. Turbojet operations began on July 12, 1959 when American Airlines initiated Boeing 707 flights to New York.

1960s

In 1961, Mr. and Mrs. Earle Wyatt made a gift of a large bronze statue bearing the inscription "One Riot, One Ranger" for display in the airport's new terminal. Famed Texas born sculptress Waldine Tauch created the piece. The inscription refers to an incident in which a single Texas Ranger was dispatched to quell a riot. See: [1], which site displays a photo of the gleaming statue.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy arrived in Dallas via Love Field. After he was assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president aboard Air Force One at Love Field.

When the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth agreed to build the Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport (the original name of the current Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) in the late 1960s, it was agreed that each city would restrict its own passenger-service airports from air-carrier operations. In addition, Fort Worth's Greater Southwest International Airport, immediately adjacent to DFW Airport's southern boundary, was closed and subsequently redeveloped into the CentrePort business park. Dallas' Love Field remained open as a vital part of the aviation infrastructure for North Texas, with general aviation operations, heavy maintenance businesses, and (for a time during the mid seventies) an amusement park located within the main terminal building.

Prior to completion of DFW, regularly scheduled service from Love Field included: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Washington (American); Atlanta, New Orleans, Los Angeles and San Francisco (Delta); Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Washington, Houston, Austin, Lubbock, Amarillo and San Antonio (Braniff International); Midland-Odessa, Lubbock, Amarillo, Albuquerque and El Paso (Continental); New Orleans, Tampa and Miami (Eastern).

1970s

Southwest Airlines was founded in 1971 and is headquartered at Love Field. Southwest built its business on selling quick, no-frills trips between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The company felt that the notion of a quick trip would be destroyed by a long drive to the new large airport beyond the suburbs. Therefore, prior to the opening of DFW, Southwest Airlines sued for the right to remain at Love Field.

In 1973, the courts decreed that the City of Dallas could not restrict Southwest Airlines from operating out of Love Field, so long as it remained open as an airport. This ruling effectively granted Southwest the right to continue to operate its existing intrastate service out of Love Field. The airlines operating from Love Field at the time DFW was conceived executed agreements with DFW authority stipulating that no airline could operate at the new airport if it continued to operate any flights out of Love Field. Southwest, created after the other carriers had signed on to the DFW operating agreements, was not a signatory and was happy to remain at the older airport with its location within the city limits. Therefore, when the new airport opened, Southwest was the only airline remaining at Love Field. With the drastic reduction in flights, Love Field had to decommission several of its terminals, several of which have been remodeled into support and training buildings for Southwest. However, over the following years Southwest's business flourished and general aviation and cargo business increased.

After deregulation of the U.S. airline industry in 1978, Southwest Airlines was able to enter the larger passenger markets and announced plans to start providing interstate service in 1979. This angered the City of Fort Worth and DFW International Airport, which resented expanded air service at the airport within Dallas. Therefore, Fort Worth congressman, Jim Wright (later Speaker), helped pass a compromise law in Congress that restricted air service at Love Field. Using the pretext of protecting DFW, the Wright Amendment restricted passenger air traffic out of Love Field in the following ways: Passenger service on regular mid-sized and large aircraft could only be provided from Love Field to locations within Texas and the four neighboring states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). Long-haul service to other states was possible, but only on commuter aircraft with no more capacity than 56 passengers.

While this law did prevent any other major airlines from starting service out of Love Field, it did not deter Southwest. Based on short trips to begin with, Southwest continued to flourish as it used multiple shorthaul flights to build its Love Field operation. Some people managed to "work the system" and get around the Wright Amendment's restrictions. For example, a person could fly from Dallas to Houston or Albuquerque, change planes, and then fly to any city Southwest served — although he or she had, at the time, to do so on two tickets in each direction, since the Wright Amendment specifically barred airlines from issuing tickets that violated the law's provisions. This had the effect of creating mini-hubs at Houston/Hobby Airport and the Albuquerque International Sunport. Southwest continued to grow and became one of the most successful and profitable airlines in the United States.

1980s and 1990s

Due to the success of Southwest Airlines, other airlines began considering the use of Love Field for short haul trips. Southwest co-founder Lamar Muse started Muse Air, a short haul competitor using DC-9s and MD-80s between Love Field and Houston in 1982. Muse Air was unable to operate profitably against Southwest at Love Field, and was purchased by Southwest in 1985 and renamed TranStar Airlines. Southwest ceased Transtar operations in 1987. Continental Airlines expressed its intent to fly out of Love Field in 1985, which led to years of court battles over the interpretation of the Wright Amendment as Fort Worth and DFW International Airport continued to try to prevent expansion at Love Field. Seeing the benefit of increased air traffic at Love Field, the City of Dallas began to actively lobby for the repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions in 1992. In 1997, the Shelby Amendment successfully passed through Congress, which amended the Wright Amendment. A compromise of sorts, the Shelby Amendment allowed Love Field flights to three more states, Kansas, Mississippi and Alabama. In addition, it amended the definition of 56-passenger jets that could fly to other states to include any aircraft weighing less than 300,000 pounds which has been reconfigured to accommodate 56 or fewer passengers.

The passage of the Shelby Amendment caused several airlines to consider flying 56-passenger jets out of Love Field, including Continental, Delta, and a new airline, Legend. The City of Fort Worth immediately sued the City of Dallas to try to prevent the Shelby Amendment from going into effect. American, headquartered at DFW, joined the lawsuits against Dallas, but also said that if other airlines were allowed to fly out of Love Field, it would have no choice but to offer competing service. In 1998, after a year of legal decisions and appeals, Continental Express became the first major airline other than Southwest to fly out of Love Field since 1974. American began service out of Love Field shortly thereafter, but continued to sue to stop the service. Fort Worth and American Airlines eventually sued the DOT to stop allowing more flights out of Love Field.

2000 to present

In 2000, several Federal appeals court decisions finally struck down all lawsuits against the Shelby Amendment. Fort Worth and American Airlines appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to review the case. These legal decisions opened the door to increased long haul flights out of Love Field using 56-passenger jets, including new service by Delta and Legend. The majority of this 56-passenger jet market was comprised of business travelers making day trips to other cities.

In 2001, the September 11, 2001 attacks and the subsequent recession greatly reduced the demand for air travel in the U.S., especially within the business traveler market. As a result, most of the airlines providing long haul 56-passenger flights stopped service and pulled out of Love Field. By 2003, Southwest and Continental Express were the only two major commercial airlines operating out of Love Field. However, due to Southwest's success and the possibility of other airlines returning in the future, the airport has completed an expansion of its parking facilities and is redeveloping one of its terminals.

In November 2004, at a breakfast sponsored by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Southwest announced their active opposition to the Wright Amendment, claiming that the law is anti-competitive and outdated.

As of November 30, 2005, Missouri was added to the list of states exempted from the Wright Amendment by an amendment written by Sen. Kit Bond. Southwest began nonstop flights to Kansas City and St. Louis on December 13. American Airlines began flights from Love to St. Louis, Kansas City, Austin, and San Antonio on March 2, 2006.

Love Field celebrated 85 years in the aviation industry in 2002 and was designated as a Texas State Historical Site in 2003.

Repeal of Wright Amendment

Main article: Wright Amendment

On June 15, 2006, it was announced that American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth had all agreed to seek full repeal of the Wright Amendment, with several conditions. Among them: the ban on nonstop flights outside the Wright zone would stay in place until 2014; through-ticketing to domestic and foreign airports (connecting flights to long-haul destinations) would be allowed immediately; Love Field's maximum gate capacity would be lowered from 32 to 20 gates; and Love would handle only domestic flights non-stop. Southwest will be able to operate from 16 gates, American 2 gates, and Continental 2 gates. JetBlue and Northwest Airlines have attacked the anti-competitive nature of the compromise that does not allow any airlines not named in the compromise to ever operate from Love Field. The cap of 20 gates also threatens service to short haul destinations when all restrictions are removed in 8 years.

After extensive negotiations with the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the compromise bill passed both Houses of Congress on Friday, September 29, just before the 109th Congress adjourned for the November elections. Hutchison led the effort to pass the bill in the Senate while Rep. Kay Granger led a bipartisan Texas House coalition to see the bill through to a successful conclusion in the House. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on October 13, 2006.[1] Southwest and American airlines then required approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin one-stop flights from Love Field to destinations outside the Wright limits.[2]

On October 17, 2006, Southwest Airlines announced that it would begin one-stop or connecting service between Love Field and 25 destinations outside the Wright zone on October 19, 2006.[3] American Airlines made travel between Love Field and locations outside the Wright zone available by October 18, 2006.[4] [5]

Airlines and destinations

East Concourse

The East Concourse has 5 Gates: 26, 27, 30 - 32

West Concourse

The West Concourse has 14 Gates: 1 - 12, 14, 15

  • Southwest Airlines Gates 1 - 12, 14, 15 (Albuquerque, Amarillo, Austin, Birmingham (AL), El Paso, Houston-Hobby, Kansas City, Little Rock, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, St. Louis, Tulsa)

Charter Service and FBOs

Love Field is also home to a number of charter flight companies and FBOs including:

References

Notes

  1. ^ Amendment Repeal Bill, S. 3661, information on THOMAS (Library of Congress)
  2. ^ "Wright repeal has one step left," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Oct. 14, 2006
  3. ^ "Wright Amendment Reform Act of 2006 Enacted Into Law; Southwest Airlines Offers Customers $99 One-Way Fares and Increased Travel Options From Dallas Love Field" (Press release). Southwest Airlines. 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2006-10-18. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Banstetter, Trebor (2006-10-17). "Love's new menu: 25 new cities". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 2006-10-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Airline Tickets and Airline Reservations from American Airlines". American Airlines. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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