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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 3241-08-2005A Reso{ution NO 3a~/~-4~~ Reaffirming the City of Fort Worth's Support for the Wright Amendment and In Support of Bringing New and/or Expanded Air Service to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport WHEREAS, the Crt~es of Fort Worth and Dallas and their citizens Domed together to design, finance, construct, build and support the DallaslFort Worth (DFW) International Aiport and these Owner Cities adopted Joint Bond Ordinances agreeing to "take such steps as may be necessary appropnate and legally permissible to provide for orderly efficient and effective phase out at Love Field, Red Bird, GSIA and Meacham Field of any and all Certificated Air Carrier Services and to transfer such activity to the Regional Aiport, which was later to be named DFW International Aiport; and WHEREAS, Southwest Airlines sued and won the hmrted right to fly `intrastate" service out of Love Field because at the tine rt was not a `Certificated Carver" and only operated `intrastate" flights out of Love Field from 1973 to 1978 and WHEREAS, m 1979 Southwest Airlines sought to fly `interstate" traffic out of Love Field over the objections of the City of Fort Worth, the City of Dallas and DFW International Airport and other related constituent groups; and • WHEREAS, in an effort to settle this dispute, a comprehensive, thoughtful and fair comprorruse was ultimately agreed to by all parties, including Southwest Airlines, which provided for new and expanded interstate air service from Love Field to the four states contiguous to Texas; and WHEREAS; this legislative compromise, better known as the `Wright Amendment" or the `Love Field Amendment" has provided a fair equitable, and mutually beneficial agreement to an issue that has been debated in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for many years and Southwest Aulines has operated and flourished under this agreement since its enactment by Congress, and WHEREAS, m 2004 Delta Air Lines announced that ~t would ehmmate its hub at DFW International Airport, reducing its daily operations from 254 to 21 resulting in 7 000 Jobs being lost and a over $782 million in total loss to the enure North Texas economy and WHEREAS, on November 12, 2004 three months after the Delta Air Lines announcement, Southwest announced its intention to seek repeal of this mutually agreed upon legislative compromise that it helped to create; and WHEREAS, this attempt to repeal this long-standing compromise, which has delivered cooperation and harmony to the region, comes at a tine in DFW International Airport s history when rt confronts the prospect of paying off a six fold increase in its debt load as rt completes its five year $2.7 billion Capital Development Program; and • WHEREAS, any changes to the legislative compromise, which could siphon traffic from DFW International Aiport to Love Field, would have a detrinental erect upon DFW International Airport at a critical tune when the aviation industry remains in econonc uncertainty; and WHEREAS, Southwest Aulines has admitted that rt could profitably provide service to North Texas travelers with long-haul interstate service at DFW International Airport, which is a mere eight miles from Love Field, while retaining its short-haul service at Love Feld, and WHEREAS, Southwest Airlines could and should simply choose to take advantage of the vacated Delta gates and immediately provide new low-cost options to North Texas travelers thereby avoiding an unnecessary divisive and costly regional conflict; and WHEREAS, the DFW International Airport and all the aulines serving the region should channel thee- collective resources not on a long legislative battle, but into securing expanded and new au service options for North Texas travelers out of DFW International Aiport in order to assure that this economic engine remains strong and continues to generate the more than $14 billion in annual economic activity for North Texas, supporting more than 268,000 full tune jobs, and serving as the catalyst for international business and tourism growth for the entire area, and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Worth has consistently supported the Wright Amendment through adoption of Resolution No 1474 in October of 1989 opposing the repeal or modification of the Wright Amendment; through adoption of Resolution.No 1548 in July of 1990 pertaining to actions taken by the Dallas City Council regarding the Wright Amendment; through adoption of Resolution No 1835 in June of 1992 reaffu-ming the commitments of Fort Worth and Dallas to prior agreements relating to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Aiport, and through adoption of Resolution No 2329 in August of 1997 opposing legislative riders that would undermine the Wright Amendment. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS SECTION 1 That the Crty of Fort Worth reaffirms its longstanding position of support for the Wright Amendment as stated in previous resolutions approved by previous Crty Councils. SECTION 2. That the City of Fort Worth urges that m lieu of seeking a divisive approach to amend or repeal the Wright Amendment, that all parties, including Southwest Airlines, should focus upon uniting area communities and seeking to bring new and expanded air service to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Auport. SECTION 3 That this resolution shall take effect inmediately upon its passage. Resolution No ~`~ J-off ~~ • • Adopted this 1"6`h day of August, 2005 APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY luU~ ~ ~'~ David Yett City orney ATTE~T~~'`~ ..~~„~~` J M~ By• HIV ~ ~~ ~ ~~ Martxy H=~ndrix--City Seery ..~ ~-- ~, ~f~~~~~r:~:~)~NCIL ~;UU ~ ~ %005 1~`~~.t~~~~~ City SFrrelar.y of the CUy or Fart 1/VOrth, Texas