NICEDUDE66

OK boys & girls, late last night a new Wright repeal bill was dropped. H.R. 6228. It's expected to pass the House today under suspension of the rules. They hope the Senate will also pass it before Congress recesses for the election. The bill is a mortification of the original by removing the anti-trust issues that hung up HR5830. Here's the quick and dirty.

1. Phases out the Wright Amendment completely in 8 years;
2. Offers immediate thru-ticketing in and out of Love Field, saving consumers time and money;
3. Opens up Love Field in a responsible way, ensuring resolution of Love Field-area residents' concerns over noise, traffic, and air pollution for the area;
4. Protects safety by prohibiting the legislation from taking effect until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notifies Congress that the additional aviation operations in the Dallas Forth; Worth -Love Field airspace expected as a result of this Act can be conducted safely and without adverse effect on airspace use;
5. Protects competition by preserving the FAA's authority to enforce airport rules that obligate Love Field to make its facilities available on a reasonable and non-discriminatory basis to new entrant carriers;
6. Stimulates competition and travel commerce throughout the United States

justageek

Just to clarify, apparently the part of the bill that made the agreement not subject to anti-trust review has been removed. So the law will be subject to Justice Department/court review with respect to anti-trust violation stemming from the restrictions placed on DAL.

Should be interesting to see how it plays out. I imagine we will see JetBlue and others involved in legal action against DAL....you know, something along the lines of how this plan interferes with their need for 10 gates at DAL or something ridiculous like that...

It's not obvious that this bill will be passed by the Senate before the recess though.

swag

Latest Dallas News article on this.

The Senate has just passed the bill.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont....2b0fe760.html

NICEDUDE66

Yes, since the Senate beat the House in passing the Wright repeal, the House will now take up S.3661 tonight. It's identical to HR6228.

Since both chambers will have passed idental bills, no conference is needed and the bill can go straight to the President for signing.

toomanybooks

Amazing how Congress can do almost nothing for months then start passing bills left and right.

AADC10

It is the last day of the session. The Congressmen will do anything to wrap it up and get back to their campaigns.

bryanw20

Looks like it's done, once dubya signs it!

http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articl...mktNews&rpc=44

swag

The bickering is over.

Now come the lawsuits.

justageek

Exactly. And with the anti-trust immunity having been removed, I suspect we'll see them within a few months. My prediction is that JetBlue will be first.

LoneStarMike

Until the amendment is fully repealed in 2014, what other carriers would want to serve Love Field? All the other carriers mainly operate using the hub and spoke model and their hubs or focus cities are outside the current perimeter.

If they want to offer mainline service from DAL to their hubs, they'll have to stop in another Wright Amendment city along the way for the next 8 years -- which goes against the hub and spoke model.

If they want to offer nonstop service from Love Field to their hubs, they'll have to use regional jets, which they've already had the ability to do since 1997 when the Shelby Amendment was passed.

Southwest is the only carrier that I can think of that operates a point-to-point network and they have many focus cities within the current Wright Amendment perimeter through which they can funnel passengers. The only other carriers which have hubs within the current Wright Amendment perimeter are CO at IAH and AA at STL, which just so happen to be the three airlines that currently have a lock on the gates.

How convenient for these three Texas-based carriers.

bryanw20

I'm very 'iliteriate' (can't think of a better word) when it gets down to legal talk & fine print. What are these suites going to be about? Gate Space at DAL for carries currently not all ready there? If so, does WN get to counter sue for gate space at other 'locked out' airports these suing carries have a lock on, but has no intension of actually flying there, say something like ATL, JFK, EWR, where ever? And good point LoneStarMike that for the first 8 years the'd have to stop along the way, and who else can do that immediatly besides the ones currently able to do it now.

justageek

JetBlue serves a number of cities within the Wright perimeter -- HOU, AUS, MSY come to mind. So they could set up shop at DAL and do one-stop service to lots of places.

But as has been pointed out, that's really not what they want to do. What they presumably really want is for Wright to disappear immediately. I would think that their legal strategy will be to challenge the anti-trust implications of the DAL gate limitations, and somehow try to put the whole Wright Amendment back into play in Congress and get it repealed.

Actually I just did a Google search and there has already been an anti-trust suit filed by Love Terminal Parterns, owners of the old Legend terminal that was slated for destruction.

http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas.../02/daily2.htm

"Similarly, the attorney for Love Terminal Partners, the owners of some of the gates slated for destruction at Love Field, said the passage of the bill leaves his clients with no choice, but to pursue their claims vigorously. The partners already have filed an antitrust suit over the local agreement."