Tension Rises At Dallas Love Field Over Fight Flight
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DALLAS (CBS11) - The fight over flights at Dallas Love Field is growing nastier.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Atlanta-based Delta Airlines remain in a bitter dispute in federal court over two gates.
In court filings this week, Delta Airlines quoted part of a letter it says Southwest's CEO Gary Kelly sent to Dallas City Manager A.C. Gonzalez.
The documents say Southwest told the city that if it didn't block Delta's efforts to continue operating flights at Love Field, it would be "...moving on to focus our corporate investments in those markets that place a value on them and their corporate residents..."
A Southwest spokesman says the airline isn't commenting on the situation because of the ongoing court case.
A Delta attorney didn't return my call, and a spokeswoman declined comment.
Mark Drusch, a former executive at Delta and Continental Airlines, who is now with incubator The Brierley Group, isn't concerned Southwest would move its corporate headquarters. "Southwest is doing what they should do. They're trying to protect their investment here at Love Field and they're trying to grow that investment. The truth is Southwest isn't going anywhere."
At issue are the two gates Southwest sub-leased from United Airlines, a deal the city of Dallas previously approved.
Delta complained saying it should be able to continue operating its five daily round-trip flights to Atlanta from Love Field, and that the city would have to find a way to accommodate them.
After failing to resolve the matter, the city filed a lawsuit in June, asking a federal judge to decide which airlines can use the gates.
Until that happens, Southwest has agreed to allow Delta to continue operating its flights out of gate 15.
Drusch says, "The city of Dallas doesn't want to cause pain for one of their best corporate citizens, and that's Southwest Airlines."
According to court documents, Delta now wants all the airlines to use the two gates United gave up, not just Southwest.
As the case makes its way through federal court, the FAA says it's investigating whether the city has violated a federal grant agreement by failing to accomodate Delta at Love Field.
This isn't the first time there have been fights over gates at Love Field.
Southwest hoped to use two gates American Airlines had to give up as part of its merger with US Airways.
But the federal government ordered American to sub-lease the two gates to Virgin America, which moved its operations over from DFW International Airport.
Southwest was given 16 of the airport's 20 gates as part of its original agreement to end the flight restrictions at Love Field known as the Wright Amendment.
After United sub-leased its two gates to Southwest, it controlled 18 or 90 percent of the gates.
Drusch says, "My opinion is Southwest long-term cannot win this. They already have 80% of the gates at Love Field. They want to go to 90. 80% is an unprecedented concentration for an airport the size of Love Field."
The judge will hold hearings on the dispute September 28th and 29th in Dallas federal court.
Travelers like Parand Jalali, are caught in the middle. "I like Delta, so I want them to stay open. I don't see why there's a fight. They should both stay open, not one or the other."
Bob Crocker, a Southwest frequent flyer, says he can see both arguments. "More competition is a good thing. On the other side, if you signed the contract, you should honor the contract also."
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