Wright Amendment

Well here is an issue that is near and dear to all DFW residents, The Wright Amendment. Even if you dont live in the Dallas - Forth Worth area you should still be interested, since it could effect air traffic (and therefore potential income) to your city. I am not completely up to speed on all of the details but here is my off the cuff take.

The Wright Amendment was, IMHO, a silly piece of legislature born in the 1970's to protect a budding DFW airport from competition from a then more established Love Field. This might, and I repeat might, have made sense over 25 years ago, but does one of the nation's largest airports and largest airlines (American) still need protection from an airport with flight volumes 1/20 of theirs?

There are still those that would uphold the Wright Amendment. Their arguments usually follow two trains of thought (1) Southwest can afford to offer lower prices and would seriously damage American Airlines. (2) More locally, people in the immediate area of Love Field should be against this since air traffic would increase.

Point 1 - Is that true? Where is the compelling financial analysis? I've priced both American and Southwest on similar flights to come up with prices that are very similar. Also American offers a greater variety of departures and is entirely more convenient to the 2 million people in the mid cities and Fort Worth areas; I doubt they will drive all the way to Love Field to save $25 and fly at less convenient times. Also, American flight volumes from DFW are some 20 times more than Southwest's from Love Field, wouldnt American score more on volume? Beside isnt this an argument against free enterprise and for monopoly?

Point 2 - Is this true? I would think without Wright that the flight volume would be about the same. Reason - Now those people flying from DFW to Las Vegas are not stopping in Albuquerque or Amarillo, they are going direct. This takes the pressure off those "puddle jumping" smaller markets reducing the number of flights to them. Also as a current Love Field resident I can tell you that the noise is not bad. It could be that I am immune to the plane traffic but I really dont notice it. Plus there must be volume limitations at Love Field considering its size and the fact that it can't expand much more beyond its boundaries.

What I fear the most is that if the Wright Amendment is not repealed that Southwest Airlines will simply relocate to another area. That, I would imagine, will have severe ramifications to this area, losing those employees and their spending dollars.

Wright Amendment Poll

Repealing Wright

Interesting reading for sure. At this point I would vote for the repeal unless I hear a compelling argument against which should be supported by verifiable data.