Southwest was founded before deregulation and planned to fly exclusively intra-Texas routes to avoid federal route & fare planning. Obviously they also saw a market for the shuttle service they were running.
Separately, as part of the plan to build DFW all operating airlines at Dallas and Ft Worth signed agreements to move all service to the new airport once it opened. Key word: operating, Southwest wasn’t flying yet when the agreement was signed.
Between the agreement and DFWs opening Southwest started flying their shuttle service. Knowing that wouldn’t work from DFW, and since they hadn’t signed the agreement to leave, they planned to stay at Dallas-Love.
This sparked a bunch of lawsuits and other fights but the end result was the Wright Amendment which heavily restricted flights from Dallas-Love. The restrictions were a response to Southwest, not an initial factor in their plan. They were also another form of regulatory capture, since the incumbent airlines used their connections in the federal government to get a law passed restricting their competition.
Southwest was founded before deregulation and planned to fly exclusively intra-Texas routes to avoid federal route & fare planning. Obviously they also saw a market for the shuttle service they were running.
Separately, as part of the plan to build DFW all operating airlines at Dallas and Ft Worth signed agreements to move all service to the new airport once it opened. Key word: operating, Southwest wasn’t flying yet when the agreement was signed.
Between the agreement and DFWs opening Southwest started flying their shuttle service. Knowing that wouldn’t work from DFW, and since they hadn’t signed the agreement to leave, they planned to stay at Dallas-Love.
This sparked a bunch of lawsuits and other fights but the end result was the Wright Amendment which heavily restricted flights from Dallas-Love. The restrictions were a response to Southwest, not an initial factor in their plan. They were also another form of regulatory capture, since the incumbent airlines used their connections in the federal government to get a law passed restricting their competition.