AIR WARFARE
MONOPOLISTIC AMENDMENT DIFFICULT TO DEFEAT
BY LEWIS WHITTEN

North Texas may soon have a low-cost option for airfare to Las Vegas and Reno as Sen. John Ensign has introduced the American Right to Fly Act. If passed, the bill would repeal the controversial Wright Amendment, which prohibits Southwest Airlines from offering non-stop flights from Love Field Dallas to Nevada.

Recall that only politicians can create a monopoly, which is exactly what former Democratic House Majority Leader Jim Wright of Texas did in 1979. The Wright Amendment gave Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) a monopoly on nationwide flights out of the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Soon after the passage of this federal law, American Airlines, the primary carrier at DFW, became the dominant airline with a virtual monopoly on nonstop domestic air travel in that area. Subsequently, American Airlines has overcharged north Texas travelers billions of dollars.

Prior to 1978, the federal government had extreme regulations on aviation, setting airline ticket prices and routes. At that time, Southwest Airlines was a young company based at Love Field that could provide in-state travel only.

After much needed deregulation, Southwest Airlines successfully requested permission to provide flights out of the state. Months later, Congress passed the Wright Amendment, and consequently Southwest Airlines was only allowed to travel in-state and to the four states bordering Texas.

Since then, Southwest Airlines has become the leading domestic carrier in America, but still cannot offer nationwide service from their home base in Dallas. Repealing the Wright Amendment has proven to be an ardent task.

Few Congress members will address the issue because it doesn’t necessarily represent their constituents. Also, Texas politicians are split on the matter. Legislation to repeal the Wright Amendment was introduced in the House of Representatives in May by Jeb Hensarling and Sam Johnson, both from Dallas.

Texas Representative and Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee Joe Barton, however, is a strong supporter of the Wright Amendment. “I am going to do more than vote against it,” said Barton. “I will do everything I can to make sure (the repeal) doesn’t pass.” 

Interestingly, Barton threatened to sponsor a bill that would speed the opening of the proposed Yucca Mountain Radioactive Waste Dump shortly after Ensign began drafting the American Right to Fly Act.

Ensign was undaunted and introduced the bill July 19.

“This is a free-market issue with dramatic ramifications not just for Texas, but for passengers throughout the entire country,” Ensign said. “The Wright Amendment is an idea whose time has gone. With approval of this bill, Americans will have more options and fares will be lower.”

Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas joined Ensign in announcing the bill. Ensign said Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) agreed to be the bill’s Democratic co-sponsor.

The two Republican senators from Texas, John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, seem uneasy about the repeal. Cornyn, who recently entered a race against Ensign for a GOP leadership position, suggested that Ensign’s bill would lead to job cuts at American Airlines.

Two Sens., James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Tom Hark (D-Iowa) flew in the face of free-market competition by introducing legislation that would ban all commercial flights from Love Field. If passed, Southwest Airlines would be forced to either shut down or move their operation to DFW.

Texas Rep. Hensarling countered that proposal lightheartedly by introducing legislation to ban commercial flights in Inhofe’s state at Tulsa International Airport. 

“Having Congress shut down one airport to enhance the local economy of another is wrong and will set a very dangerous precedent,” Hensarling said.

The controversial Wright Amendment was enacted six years after the opening of DFW, which was struggling with the deregulation that created airfare reductions all across America. DFW officials used their political clout to eliminate competition by blocking long-haul flights out of nearby Love Field, Southwest Airlines’ home base.

Southwest Airlines is McCarran International Airport’s busiest carrier. According to a study by the Campbell-Hill Aviation Group Inc., Southwest Airlines inability to provide nonstop flights from northern Texas costs the Las Vegas economy more than $34 million a year.

The American Right to Fly Act is long overdue. 

“Customers, in this case airline passengers, benefit when competition is allowed in a free market,” Ensign said. “It is time for the federal government to get out of the way, allow free-market competition and let the customers enjoy increased options and lower fares.” LW