The Wright Amendment
In light of the last post and a good comment/question–I though I would write about why I oppose the Wright Amendment.
1) It is against free market principles.
Why arbitrarily limit an airport? Why allow flights to a state and the states which border it? I understand limiting national/international flights for security reasons, but you have no such concerns for interstate travel.
2) Dallas / Fort Worth is large enough to support two airports.
With roughly 5 million residents, the city can easily support two airports. Houston has 4 million residences, and they have two airports. Chicago, New York, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and many others have two airports–why can’t Dallas.
3) The Wright Amendment is designed to protect airlines, not an airport.
DFW is big enough to support itself. Love Field will never have the number of flights that DFW has. And with 5 million residents, the demand for flights won’t go away because of two airports. The Wright Amendment has created to protect Branff Airlines (now-defunct) and now by default, it protects American Airlines.
4) The Wright Amendment drives airfare prices up.
A study by American Airlines earlier this year indicates that the price of airfare in Dallas/Fort Worth would go down if the amendment is repealed. It wil increase competition and bring fare cost down.
So why not just close Love Field?
See point #2. Dallas/Fort Worth can support two airlines. I think Dallas should limit the number of flights that Love Field can handle each day. And I believe they have already done it. And it makes no sense to waste an already-built airport.
What about the residents within earshot of Love Field?
They knew about the airport before they bought their house. I live in a flight-path–it gets noisy sometimes, but it’s not that bad.
D/FW has brought great things to the area, and now you want to hurt it?
D/FW airport does not deserve such reverential treatment. The airport serves us (the people); not the other way around.
Why doesn’t Southwest move to D/FW?
1. Their headquarters are at love. 2. The time planes spend on the tarmac waiting to take off is high and doesn’t fit their model. 3. American Airlines flies close to 80% of all flights from D/FW (I think 600+ flights a day). 4. Delta just left because they couldn’t afford to compete, why should we expect Southwest to be able to compete there? 5. American is like an animal waiting to prey on another airline that would jump into it’s domain.
Is Southwest playing political games?
Yes.
Is American Airline playing political games?
Yes.
Since both sides are playing political games, I then take a step back and decide which side to agree with on philosophical and legal concepts. Hence, my four areas why I oppose the Wright Amendment. And my biggest problem is the unnecessary government restraint.
Andrew,
As a lifelong resident of a neighborhood near Love Field, I want to thank you for your excellent, well-reasoned post.
Although I live directly under the flight path to/from Love Field, neither I nor any of my neighbors have any problem with Southwest Airlines.
Southwest accounts for less than 1/3 of the traffic at Love Field and its aircraft are actually the quietest that fly in and out.
It upsets me when people from outside the area (most of whom appear to have financial ties to either DFW or American Airlines) try to exploit the “neighborhoods around Love Field” issue to serve their own interests.
The most egregious example was when American Airlines was caught red-handed secretly funding an organization called the Love Field Citizens Action Committee. I’ve never heard of that organization and they certainly don’t represent me nor anyone I know.
Someone with more knowledge help me out on this….I’m curious what roll the Love Field Master plan plays. Would revoking the Amendment go against the agreements or wishes of local community groups when they drew up the Love Field master plan? Also, wouldn’t allowing longer distance flights require the use of bigger and louder planes?
No, the Love Field Master Plan would remain in place, even if the Wright Amendment is repealed.
As I stated above, the only neighborhood organization to advocate maintenance of the Wright Amendment is the Love Field Citizens Action Committee, and they were found to have been secretly funded by American Airlines (according to a 1997 article) in the Dallas Observer.
The Wright Amendment really has no connection with traffic, noise, etc…. that’s why most neighborhood residents are actually in favor of its repeal. Indeed, the Wright Amendment was actually requested by American Airlines, not neighborhood residents.
The Love Field Master Plan, in contrast, actually does focus on quality of life issues, and was developed with substantial community input. Any attempt to repeal the Master Plan would encounter substantial community opposition, intense litigation, etc., etc. Few believe such an effort could actually succeed (it is also unclear who would push for such a repeal, and why).
Many of the destinations Southwest would be able to fly to following Wright Amendment repeal are actually closer than places it is allowed to fly to today. Also, Southwest uses the same planes on all its routes. Ironically, these planes are significantly quieter than most of the corporate jets currently operating out of Love.