Dallas is weighing expansion of Love Field airport, but federal law caps the airport at 20 gates. The city has already negotiated a lease with Southwest Airlines that would grant the carrier most additional gates if the cap were removed.
Southwest controls nearly all existing gates at Love Field. Under a lease approved by city council covering October 1, 2028 through September 30, 2040, Southwest operates 18 of the 20 gates. Delta controls one gate, and the city controls one.
The lease contains provisions for what happens if federal law changes. Dallas could pursue four, eight, or twelve additional gates without typical review by incumbent airlines, provided each new gate costs no more than $50 million in 2025 dollars. Southwest receives an option on three of four new gates, five of eight new gates, or eight of twelve new gates.
Federal restrictions on Love Field date to the 1979 Wright Amendment, which limited Southwest's competition. The Wright Amendment Reform Act of 2006 allowed Southwest to expand service beyond Texas. In exchange, Love Field's gate count dropped from 32 to 20, and Southwest kept most gates. American Airlines secured a monopoly on international service from Dallas.
Former American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker defended the existing arrangement on the Airlines Confidential podcast, citing the five-party agreement and federal law. Parker noted that American invested heavily at DFW airport based on those protections.
The report notes that the city is undergoing a $2.5 billion redevelopment at Love Field that does not include additional gates. Dallas City Manager recently raised the prospect of more gates at an aviation event.