Southwest Airlines Chairman Offers Remarks on Bill to Repeal Wright Amendment
DALLAS, May 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Chairman Herb Kelleher commented on legislation introduced by two Texas congressmen to repeal the Wright Amendment that unfairly restricts flights at Dallas Love Field. The following are excerpts from a press briefing:
"Southwest Airlines has been a bonanza in markets where we are allowed to offer unbridled, unconstrained, unshackled, low-fare service; not only by increasing traffic, but by creating a boon to local economic development," said Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines Executive Chairman. "Any time competition is fettered, it is a penalty to consumers.
"The size of Southwest Airlines' task force may pale in comparison to our competitors," Kelleher continued. "All we have is truth, right and justice on our side -- which makes us very successful. Those who are working to abolish the amendment are standing for the American people, for consumerism, and for free enterprise.
"There are crazy, weird, bizarre restrictions about what passengers can and can't do at Love Field; getting rid of the restrictions would be a considerable boon to the United States and our Customers. We are asking Congress to eliminate limitations that should have never been imposed in the first place; we are asking for the freedom to compete," Kelleher concluded.
"The Right to Fly Act" is the first legislation to be introduced since the need for the Wright Amendment was last called into question in November 2004. The 26-year-old congressional amendment limits nonstop flights from Dallas' Love Field airport to Texas and its four touching states (three additional states were added in 1997). Designed to protect a then-fledgling DFW International Airport, the Wright Amendment now prevents meaningful low fare airline competition to and from the Dallas/Ft. Worth travel market and serves to keep airfares high.
Related Articles
|
Today, Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Employees gathered at the airline's Headquarters Building in Dallas to celebrate Southwest's latest tool in educating consumers on the importance of repealing the Wright Amendment, http://www.setlovefree.com/ . Southwest Airlines CEO Gary ... |
|
|
Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) applauds the fact that today, under the sponsorship of Senator John Ensign from Nevada, joined by Senators John McCain from Arizona, Sam Brownback from Kansas, and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut; a U.S. Senate bill was introduced that would amend ... |
|
|
t Airlines to begin providing air service at Denver International Airport should prove beyond any doubt that Southwest is also easily capable of providing long-haul service for North Texas from DFW International Airport. Southwest announced today it would begin flying to Den ... |
|
|
Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) announced today it will expand its current ATA Airlines codeshare agreement to include ATA flights from DFW Airport to Chicago Midway Airport.
Southwest Customers will be able to book transportation on ATA's three daily nonstop flights from D ... |
|
|
ucted by Eclat Consulting concludes that the repeal of a federal law known as the Wright Amendment -- thus allowing long-haul flying at Love Field in Dallas -- would trigger a chain reaction leading to significant losses in the number of flights and destinations served at th ... |
|
|
Dallas and Missouri Customers love Southwest's new service between Dallas Love Field and Kansas City and St. Louis. Southwest says thank you for flying with southwest.com-only air fares of just $49 one-way with a 21-day advance purchase. To book these low air fares available ... |
|
|
ned terminal where Delta Air Lines once serviced more than 220 flights a day, DFW International Airport officials, members of the North Texas Commission and aviation industry experts from Simat, Helliesen & Eichner, Inc. (SH&E) today released an independent economic analysis ... |
|
|
