A Pennsylvania-based group representing business travelers across the country proposes phasing out commercial flights at Dallas Love Field over three years and letting the two Metroplex airlines battle it out at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport as a way to resolve the Wright Amendment dispute.
Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said he's been studying the issue since October and interviewed 47 people, including representatives of Fort Worth-based American Airlines, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, D/FW Airport, and the Love Field Citizens Action Committee, which supports the Wright Amendment.
The coalition, which represents more than 400 business travelers across the country including about a half-dozen in the Metroplex, did not receive money for doing the study, but was asked last summer by Southwest and American to offer its opinion, Mitchell said.
The 17-page report was sent to Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and Dallas Mayor Laura Miller over the weekend.
"In an era of ever scarce economic resources, there is precious little public policy justification for continued protection of the competitive powerhouse that is" Southwest Airlines, according to the report.
Critics of the Wright Amendment, which limits most passenger flights from Dallas Love Field to within Texas and eight nearby states, say it crimps competition in the local air market and keeps airfares high.
It was passed by Congress in the 1970s to protect the then-new D/FW Airport from competition at Love.
They say the law allows American, which dominates D/FW, to continue to charge high airfares.
Southwest wants the Wright Amendment overturned so it can implement long-haul service from Love and continue to grow there.
Proponents of the law say that it maintains D/FW as an important economic engine for the region, and that Southwest Airlines, which dominates Love Field, should fly from D/FW if it wants long-haul flights from North Texas. Southwest says D/FW doesn't fit its business model.
The report offers pros and cons for five scenarios affecting the Wright Amendment:
Do nothing.
Repeal it immediately.
Phase it out over three years.
Close Love Field immediately.
Phase out the Dallas airport over three years.
The report concludes that competition among airports such as Love Field and D/FW, which are eight miles apart, wastes federal resources. For example, grant money from the Federal Aviation Administration to upgrade both Love Field and D/FW is duplicative, he said.
Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines, declined to comment on the study because he had not seen it.
Beth Harbin, a spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, maintained that Southwest would not be interested in going to D/FW Airport, even if Love is closed.
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I have several problems with this recently released report. First off, only 47 people were interviewed? Were any of these people interviewed actually passengers that use Love or DFW? Secondly Southwest is not interested in moving to DFW even if Love does close, so what would happen to SWA and the economy of Dallas and Texas if SWA decided to reduce flights? Who would pay for the move of SWA if they were forced to leave Love after it closes?
It is doubtful that Love Field will close. Southwest has a decent sized "hub" there. It is their root of beginning. I question whether having two different airports really keeps fares high. Where Southwest and American compete on routes, the fares are lower than routes where they don't compete. Yes it is bad that SWA can only fly non-stop to several states surrounding Texas, however those states usually enjoy lower fares thanks to SWA.
47 people ... OMG that must mean this report is 110% valid. Quick ... shut down LUV because 47 people dont like the airport. Who cares about the lives of the 470+ people who make their livings off of LUV.
What an idiot!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 11, 2006 11:04 AM | Permalink to Comment