From the Dallas Business Journal:
Nebraska wants some Love.
Several Nebraska congressman are backing a bill for Nebraska to become the 10th state to be exempted from Wright Amendment restrictions that limit flights from Dallas’ Love Field to short-haul flights to a few surrounding states, said a spokeswoman for the congressman.Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV), which flies out of Dallas Love Field, has been battling for repeal of the 1979 federal law since last year.
On Thursday, Reps. Lee Terry, R-Neb., Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., and Tom Osborne, R-Neb., introduced legislation to amend the Wright Amendment to allow certain air carriers serving Omaha’s Eppley Airfield to provide service between Love Field and the greater Omaha area.
KERA reported this morning that Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, TX, has said any ammendments to the Wright Amendment would not pass. Any changes must pass through his committee.
Barton (like many other North Texas politicians) is a poor excuse for an elected representative.
It’s truly sad that North Texans have to plead with outside (read, non-American Airlines influenced) elected officials to be delivered from this hellish, artificial monopoly.
For God sakes, the Airline Deregulation Act was passed nearly 30 years ago… it’s about time folks in Dallas and Fort Worth were allowed the same rights and privileges as those in the rest of the U.S.