FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Southwest Airlines Co. plans to break American Airlines Inc.'s monopoly on direct flights between the Dallas area and Missouri, within days.
President Bush signed a transportation bill Wednesday exempting Missouri from a measure, known as the Wright Amendment, that blocked Southwest from flying to most U.S. airports from Dallas' close-in Love Field, all as a way of protecting the huge federally funded DFW Airport.
Although American fought to keep Southwest from flying directly to St. Louis and Kansas City from Love Field, the world's biggest airline lost the fight and now plans to join Southwest at Love Field, the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported Thursday.
Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., is credited with pushing through an exception for Missouri to the Wright Amendment, which he slammed as "anti-consumer."
Southwest, meanwhile, wasted no time in touting plans to launch its signature discount service to Missouri, with direct flights beginning in days.
Analysts say the feisty discounter will gain about $80 million yearly from breaking American's monopoly, while American will lose at least $100 million annually from the development.
The Wright Amendment still blocks Southwest from flying directly to many big U.S. cities.
