Southwest Airlines began in 1971 and as the airline grew, so did it’s challenges, but not like the one that started in 1979 with the Wright Amendment. The Wright Amendment was enacted in 1979 to limit air service out of Dallas’ Love Field to only Texas and four neighboring states. Revisions to the amendment added a few more states in the late 90s, but starting in October 2o14, airlines will be able to add nonstop service to all domestic cities. While this doesn’t directly benefit most airlines, it will highly benefit Southwest Airlines who is adding 15 nonstop routes from Love Field.
Southwest will begin serving five new nonstop destinations on October 13, followed by ten additional new nonstop destinations on November 2. The addition of these 15 new nonstop destinations will bring Southwest to a total of 31 nonstop destinations from Love Field.
“The official repeal of Wright Amendment federal flight restrictions signifies a turning point for the Southwest brand not just in Dallas, but from coast-to-coast,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chairman, President, and CEO. “We are pleased to offer this new service to the Customers of our home airport, who have waited 34 long years, and we thank the many, many folks who made this opportunity a reality. Goodbye, Wright Amendment. Hello, America!”
Beginning Oct. 13, 2014, Southwest Airlines will launch nonstop service from Dallas Love Field to:
- Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
- Denver
- Las Vegas
- Orlando
- Chicago Midway
Beginning Nov. 2, 2014, Southwest Airlines will launch nonstop service from Dallas Love Field to:
- Atlanta
- Nashville
- Washington, D.C. (Reagan National)
- Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- New York (LaGuardia)
- Phoenix
- San Diego
- Orange County/Santa Ana
- Tampa
In May, Southwest will announce the specific flight schedules and fares for the sale of the new service.
