HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 05-33 In Support of Bringing New and/or Expanded Air Service to DFW International AirportRESOLUTION NO. 05-33
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BRINGING NEW
AND/OR EXPANDED AIR SERVICE TO DFW
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WHEREAS, the Cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and their citizens joined together to
design, finance, construct, build and support DFW International Airport; and
WHEREAS, these Owner Cities adopted Joint Bond Ordinances agreeing to "take such
steps as may be necessary, appropriate and legally permissible ... to provide for orderly, efficient
and effective phase out at Love Field, Red Bird, GSIA and Meacham Field of any and all
Certificated Air Carrier Services and to transfer such activity to the Regional Airport," which was
later to be named DFW International Airport (DFW); and
WHEREAS, all airlines, except Southwest Airlines (Southwest), fulfilled their
obligations and commitments to the public and moved their operations to DFW consistent with
the Bond Covenants; and
WHEREAS, Southwest sued and won the limited right to fly "intrastate" service out of
Love Field because at the time it was not a "Certificated Carrier"; and
WHEREAS, Southwest only operated "intrastate" flights out of Love Field from 1973 to
1978; and
WHEREAS, in 1979, Southwest sought to fly "interstate" traffic out of Love Field over
the objections of the City of Dallas, the City of Fort Worth, and DFW and other related
constituent groups; and
WHEREAS, in an effort to settle this dispute, a comprehensive, thoughtful and fair
compromise was ultimately agreed to by all parties, including Southwest, which provided for new
and expanded interstate air service from Love Field to the four states contiguous to Texas; and
WHEREAS, this legislative compromise has provided a fair, equitable, and mutually
beneficial agreement to an issue that has been debated in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for many
years; and
WHEREAS, this legislative compromise is now better known as the "Wright
Amendment" or the "Love Field Amendment"; and
WHEREAS, Southwest has operated and flourished under this agreement since its
enactment by Congress to the point that Southwest has become the largest domestic carrier in the
United States in terms of passengers carried and now commands a monopoly market share of
more than 97 percent at Love Field; and
WHEREAS, Delta Air Lines announced in September 2004 that it will eliminate its hub
at DFW, reducing its daily operations from 254 to 21, resulting in 7,000 jobs being lost and over
$782 million in total loss to the entire North Texas economy; and
WHEREAS, on November 12, 2004, Southwest announced its intention to seek repeal of
this mutually agreed upon legislative compromise that it helped to create in order to profit from
Delta Air Lines' withdrawal of its hub from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; and
WHEREAS, this attempt to repeal this long-standing compromise, which has delivered
cooperation and harmony to the region, comes at a time in DFW's history when it faces an
estimated $50 million in lost annual revenue directly resulting from Delta Air Lines' elimination
of its hub and also confronts the prospect of paying off a six fold increase in its debt load as it
completes its five-year, $2.7 billion Capital Development Program; and
WHEREAS, any changes to the legislative compromise, which could siphon traffic from
DFW to Love Field, would have a detrimental effect upon DFW at a critical time when the
aviation industry remains in economic uncertainty; and
WHEREAS, Southwest has publicly admitted that it could profitably provide service to
North Texas travelers with long-haul interstate service at DFW, which is a mere eight miles from
Love Field., while retaining its short -haul service at Love Field; and
WHEREAS, Southwest could and should simply choose to take advantage of the
vacated Delta gates and immediately provide new low-cost options to North Texas travelers
thereby avoiding an unnecessary, divisive and costly regional conflict; and
WHEREAS, DFW can and should channel its resources, not into a long legislative
battle, but into securing expanded and new air service options for North Texas travelers,
remaining the economic engine that generates more than $14 billion in annual economic activity
for North Texas, supporting more than 268,000 full time jobs, and serving as the catalyst for
international business and tourism growth for the entire area;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE
TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS:
SECTION 1: That in lieu of seeking a divisive approach to amend or repeal the Wright
Amendment, all efforts should focus upon uniting area communities and seeking to bring new and
expanded air service to DFW International Airport.
SECTION 2. That this resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage.
(2)
PASSED AND APPROVED on this day of
ATTEST:
Jean Dwinnell, TRMC, CM,
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
L. Stanton Lowry, Town Attorney
(3)
2005.
Scott Bradley, Mayor
Trent Petty, Town Manager