FORT WORTH, Texas — Pigs still can't fly, but Southwest Airlines could soon embark on the previously impossible – routing flights into and out of DFW International Airport.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan revealed while speaking Wednesday at the Skift Aviation Forum at the Omni Fort Worth hotel that both parties have engaged in initial talks surrounding the Dallas-based airline establishing a "modest presence" at the airport that it's never previously served.
"As the Metroplex continues to grow, the constraint at Love Field becomes more and more of an issue, because the capability of what you could do is more and more constrained,” Jordan said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
In a statement to WFAA, DFW Airport confirmed that "preliminary discussions" are underway about the move, which would bring about major ramifications in the North Texas travel industry.
"As Southwest Airlines announced today, DFW Airport and Southwest have had preliminary discussions regarding the potential for Southwest to serve DFW in the future," the statement reads. "Southwest highlighted they are interested in discussing a moderate amount of flights from DFW and we expect the discussions to continue with no decisions reached until 2024 at the earliest. DFW’s future infrastructure investments include gate growth for American Airlines and all other airlines interested in serving the Dallas Fort Worth region."
The airline also provided WFAA a statement, further explaining the details surrounding the early discussions.
"Southwest’s top focus in the DFW region is ensuring our long-term future at Dallas Love Field, from where we’ve served our loyal Customers, grown our Headquarters and invested in the Greater Dallas community for more than 52 years," the statement read. "As Love Field is gate-limited, and a key provision of the Five Party Agreement is nearing its sunsetting, we have engaged in preliminary conversations with DFW International Airport to further serve Customers throughout the area."
Because of lingering constraints related to the Wright Amendment, Southwest has previously been unable to expand operations to DFW Airport without lessening its massive presence at Dallas Love Field, where it operates 18 of 20 gates.
That provision, however, expires in 2025.
And, as DFW expands with new terminals and gates, Southwest wants in.
Edward Russell, an airline industry expert and editor of Airlines News outlet Skift, was present during Jordan's announcement Wednesday.
"It's huge, and it really solidifies that DFW is the second-busiest airport in the country, a major airport in the region, and it is the room for growth for Southwest," Russell said. "With such population growth here, Southwest identifies that they really need to be at both airports to serve the DFW area well. Southwest can't grow at Love Field, so expanding at DFW is the logical choice."
Russell told WFAA that Southwest executives also announced they expect new routes out of DFW Airport to existing Southwest cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles. Additionally, Southwest executives said they could add international flights out of DFW Airport, Russell said.
"American will still be the 100-pound gorilla in the DFW area, and Southwest knows that, but healthy competition will be good for travel," Russell said.
During his State of Airport address on October 2, DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue avoided mentioning Southwest by name but acknowledge the possibly of new airlines entering the DFW Airport fray following the Wright Amendment provisions' 2025 expiration.
"Airlines see the success of the economy in this region, and they're going to want to participate in the growth," Donohue said in response to a WFAA question about the 2025 expiration. "American is still going to be the dominant carrier here – make no mistake about that – and we're very fortunate to have them. But, on the margin, other carriers are probably going to want to grow there. And we have to accommodate them."
