Southwest Seeks To Repeal Wright Act
By TED JACKOVICS [font=arial, helvetica][email protected][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica]Published: Feb 4, 2005[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica]TAMPA - The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority is considering giving its support to Southwest Airlines' quest to repeal a federal amendment so it can fly nonstop between Dallas Love Field and Tampa.
The issue appears to be a no-brainer from Tampa's end, where Southwest is Tampa International Airport's No. 1 carrier and construction is nearly complete on a new Airside C that primarily will serve the Dallas-based airline.
The $134 million airside is expected to open in mid-April.
``If the act is repealed, it would allow Southwest to fly anywhere in the United States from Love Field, including Tampa,'' TIA Director Louis Miller said Thursday.
That could increase competition among carriers and lower air fares on the Tampa-Dallas route, Miller said. Those fares generally rank between the second- and fourth- most expensive among major destinations served from Tampa because of the dominance that American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have enjoyed on the route.
The average one-way fare between Tampa and Dallas in the first quarter of 2004 was $183.
The fare is surpassed only by those for flights serving Tampa and Cincinnati, Memphis, Tenn., and San Francisco, among major destinations.
Southwest is precluded from flying from its headquarters at Dallas Love Field to states beyond those contiguous to Texas, plus Alabama, Kansas and Mississippi, by The Wright Act.
The law is named after sponsor Jim Wright, a Texas Democrat and former majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The politically inspired federal legislation was enacted in 1979 to protect then-new Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which is less convenient to people in Dallas than Love Field.
Southwest declined an incentive-laden offer to move some of its flights to Dallas- Fort Worth International.
Now that Delta has reduced its flights, Southwest has said that it sees a greater opportunity for long-distance growth from Dallas Love Field, Miller said.
The airline has asked the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority for its support in backing a legislative sponsor to repeal the act.
Dallas-Fort Worth International also has sought Tampa's support for maintaining the act, especially since Delta last month reduced its daily departures there from 258 to 21 and the airport has been left with empty gates.
The aviation authority is expected to decide at its monthly meeting in March whether to support the big Texas airport or Southwest on The Wright Amendment issue.
Tampa International will assign Southwest and low-cost carriers Spirit and Independence Air to the new Airside C, which replaces the original that was demolished in 2003 because it became obsolete.
The airport will hold an open house for the public to inspect Airside C on Saturday, April 16.
Parking for the event will be free.
Once scheduled flights begin with the arrival of a Southwest flight on April 19, only those with airline tickets will be allowed to use the tram between the main terminal and the airside.
The new airside, designed by Alfonso Architects of Tampa and built by The Beck Group, will be the largest at the airport. It is intended to create an ambience recalling the era when flying was a special event, the architect has said.
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Continuing with TN, now FL, possibly KA, the approach as GK has said is state by state, knocking on doors of congressmen to convince them it is in the best interest of their constiuencies to do away with the Wright Amendment...this will not happen overnight, more likely 2 years+ of some hard fought battles at state capitals & in DC....hopefully SWA will prevail
[/font]
By TED JACKOVICS [font=arial, helvetica][email protected][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica]Published: Feb 4, 2005[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica]TAMPA - The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority is considering giving its support to Southwest Airlines' quest to repeal a federal amendment so it can fly nonstop between Dallas Love Field and Tampa.
The issue appears to be a no-brainer from Tampa's end, where Southwest is Tampa International Airport's No. 1 carrier and construction is nearly complete on a new Airside C that primarily will serve the Dallas-based airline.
The $134 million airside is expected to open in mid-April.
``If the act is repealed, it would allow Southwest to fly anywhere in the United States from Love Field, including Tampa,'' TIA Director Louis Miller said Thursday.
That could increase competition among carriers and lower air fares on the Tampa-Dallas route, Miller said. Those fares generally rank between the second- and fourth- most expensive among major destinations served from Tampa because of the dominance that American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have enjoyed on the route.
The average one-way fare between Tampa and Dallas in the first quarter of 2004 was $183.
The fare is surpassed only by those for flights serving Tampa and Cincinnati, Memphis, Tenn., and San Francisco, among major destinations.
Southwest is precluded from flying from its headquarters at Dallas Love Field to states beyond those contiguous to Texas, plus Alabama, Kansas and Mississippi, by The Wright Act.
The law is named after sponsor Jim Wright, a Texas Democrat and former majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The politically inspired federal legislation was enacted in 1979 to protect then-new Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which is less convenient to people in Dallas than Love Field.
Southwest declined an incentive-laden offer to move some of its flights to Dallas- Fort Worth International.
Now that Delta has reduced its flights, Southwest has said that it sees a greater opportunity for long-distance growth from Dallas Love Field, Miller said.
The airline has asked the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority for its support in backing a legislative sponsor to repeal the act.
Dallas-Fort Worth International also has sought Tampa's support for maintaining the act, especially since Delta last month reduced its daily departures there from 258 to 21 and the airport has been left with empty gates.
The aviation authority is expected to decide at its monthly meeting in March whether to support the big Texas airport or Southwest on The Wright Amendment issue.
Tampa International will assign Southwest and low-cost carriers Spirit and Independence Air to the new Airside C, which replaces the original that was demolished in 2003 because it became obsolete.
The airport will hold an open house for the public to inspect Airside C on Saturday, April 16.
Parking for the event will be free.
Once scheduled flights begin with the arrival of a Southwest flight on April 19, only those with airline tickets will be allowed to use the tram between the main terminal and the airside.
The new airside, designed by Alfonso Architects of Tampa and built by The Beck Group, will be the largest at the airport. It is intended to create an ambience recalling the era when flying was a special event, the architect has said.
____________________
Continuing with TN, now FL, possibly KA, the approach as GK has said is state by state, knocking on doors of congressmen to convince them it is in the best interest of their constiuencies to do away with the Wright Amendment...this will not happen overnight, more likely 2 years+ of some hard fought battles at state capitals & in DC....hopefully SWA will prevail
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