Southwest Airlines Considering Operations At DFW Airport
Southwest Airlines wants access to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to meet metroplex demand. Southwest currently uses Dallas
Love Field Airport, but its limited capacity means it will need to find other choices as it grows in the area.
Southwest Airlines is considering a “moderate” presence at DFW. The airline has served the metro area
for 50 years through Dallas Love Field Airport, but capacity difficulties have forced it to look elsewhere.
Southwest operates 18 of the airport's 20 gates. Southwest wants to operate some flights out of DFW due to rising metroplex demand.
Francisco J. Rodriguez, DFW Communications & Marketing Specialist, told CBS News Texas,
Southwest operates only at Dallas Love Field Airport due to a 1970s law. The Wright Amendment, passed in 1974, limited DFW competition.
Before 1973, Dallas Love Airport had more than 70 gates, but many concourses were deactivated, reducing its capacity to the little airport we see today.
Southwest and American Airlines wanted a full Wright Amendment repeal in 2006, but it limited gate numbers to 20 and gave Southwest control over 16.