Dallas Love Field
PILOT TRAINING AIRFIELD
The United States Army named Love Field and intended to use it for training pilots
DEACTIVATED
After World War I, Love Field was used as a storage facility for aircrafts
DALLAS OWNERSHIP
The city of Dallas purchased Love Field and opened it for citizen use
DELTA SERVICE
Delta Airlines began its first passenger service from Dallas to Jackson, Mississippi
AIRLINE SERVICE
By March, Love Field had 21 weekday departures serviced by American, Braniff and Delta
KENNEDYS AND AIR FORCE ONE
John and Jackie Kennedy arrived at Dallas Love Field on November 22
HOME TO SOUTHWEST
Southwest Airlines opened and headquartered at Dallas Love Field
HISTORICAL SITE
Dallas Love Field was recognized as a Texas State Historical site
Dallas Love Field - The Airport that Refused to Die
Dallas Love Field is like a cat with nine lives. It has opened and closed and almost been abandoned several times in the last 100 years.
Once the World’s 10th Busiest Airport
In the early 70’s, Love Field was the main airport for the City of Dallas and neighboring Fort Worth had its own separate airport. The FAA convinced the two cities to build one airport to serve both cities. In 1973, the new Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) opened and according to the plan, all the airlines were supposed to migrate over there and Love Field was slated to close.
DFW Courts Controversy
It’s safe to say that from that point on, Dallas Love Field has been a nearly constant topic of controversy. Southwest refused to move as planned to DFW and won a lawsuit allowing it to stay. Ever since, Dallas Love Field and Southwest have been inseparable. Southwest chose to stay at Dallas Love Field, as the location was much closer to the City of Dallas than DFW; as they focused on flights within the state of Texas, they didn’t want passengers to take an extended car ride to catch a short flight.
The US Government and Other Airlines Try to Crush Southwest Airlines
Other airlines, with help from their US Representative, moved to make it harder for Southwest to operate. Ironically, their efforts to undercut Southwest instead created conditions in which the airline flourished. Southwest, a short-haul service, made its mark flying within Texas and four neighboring states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). The other airlines regularly made changes in the laws — lifting some regulations and creating new ones — in their bid to weaken Southwest Airlines.
Despite being the target of decades of negative legislative maneuvering, Southwest grew to become the world’s largest low-cost airline and its headquarters continues to be Dallas Love Field.
Did You Know?
- Southwest Airlines handles 97% of Love Field’s traffic, offering 180 flights daily to designations around the U.S. and Ontario (1/15/17). The top destination is Houston.
- In the early 1930s, Braniff International was the largest carrier out of Love Field.
- Love Field is home to several pieces of iconic artwork including, One Riot, One Ranger, a 12-foot tall bronze sculpture of Texas Ranger Captain Jay Banks.
LINKS:
Short history of Dallas Love Field. On the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy swore in Lyndon Johnson as President aboard Air Force One at the airport.
Dallas Love Field may have one of the most colorful histories of any airport