Love Field

From Free net encyclopedia

"DAL" redirects here. For the airline with this ICAO code, see Delta Air Lines. For other uses, see Love Field (disambiguation).

Template:Airport frame Template:Airport title {{Airport infobox 

| IATA         = DAL
| ICAO         = KDAL
| type         = Public
| run by       = City of Dallas
| opened       = 1917
| closest town = Dallas, Texas
| distance     = 5 miles (8 km) NW
| elevation_ft = 487
| elevation_m  = 148.4
| coordinates  = 32° 50' 49.6" N 
 96° 51' 06.4" W

}} Template:Runway title {{Runway 

| runway_angle    = 13R/31L
| runway_length_f = 8,800
| runway_length_m = 2,682
| runway_surface  = Concrete

}} {{Runway 

| runway_angle    = 13L/31R
| runway_length_f = 7,752
| runway_length_m = 2,363
| runway_surface  = Concrete

}} {{Runway 

| runway_angle    = 18/36
| runway_length_f = 6,147
| runway_length_m = 1,874
| runway_surface  = Asphalt

}} Template:Airport end frame

Dallas Love Field Airport Template:Airport codes is a public airport located 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Dallas, Texas (USA). 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 is primarily served by one airline, Southwest Airlines.

Contents

[edit]

History

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 International, 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.

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.

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.

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 Regional Airport, 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 Regional Airport 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 of Dallas. Therefore, when the new airport opened in 1974, Southwest Airlines was the only airline remaining at Love Field. With the drastic reduction in flights, Love Field had to decommission several of its terminals. 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, a Fort Worth congressman, Jim Wright, helped pass a compromise law in Congress that restricted air service at Love Field. Using the pretext of protecting DFW International Airport, 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 have managed to "work the system" and get around the Wright Amendment's restrictions. For example, a person could fly from Dallas to Houston or New Orleans, change planes, and then fly to any city Southwest served — although he or she had to do so on two tickets in each direction, since the Wright Amendment specifically bars airlines from issuing tickets that violate the law's provisions. This had the effect of creating mini-hubs at Houston/Hobby Airport and the New Orleans Airport. Southwest continued to grow and became one of the most successful and profitable airlines in the United States.

Due to the success of Southwest Airlines, other airlines began considering the use of Love Field for short haul trips. 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 Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and a new airline, Legend Airlines. The City of Fort Worth immediately sued the City of Dallas to try to prevent the Shelby Amendment from going into effect. American Airlines, headquartered at DFW International Airport, 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 Airlines began service out of Love Field shortly thereafter, but continued to sue to stop the service. Fort Worth and American Airlines eventually sued the U.S. Department of Transportation to stop allowing more flights out of Love Field.

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 Air Lines and Legend Airlines. The majority of this 56-passenger jet market was comprised of business travelers making day trips to other cities.

In 2001, the September 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent recession greatly reduced the demand for air travel in the United States, 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, Southwest Airlines 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. Southwest began nonstop flights to Kansas City and St. Louis on December 13. American Airlines announced on December 13 that it will begin 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.

[edit]

Airlines

[edit]

Charter Service and FBOs

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

[edit]

External links

Template:US-airport Template:Geolinks-US-hoodscale

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/Love_Field"