With the future of two gates at Dallas Love Field up in the air, Sir Richard Branson penned a love letter to Love Wednesday.
The video, above, is the latest shot in a public-relations campaign undertaken by the airline as they try to secure the rights to two gates up for grabs at Dallas Love Field Airport.
Virgin isn't the only airline seeking the gates, however. Both Delta and Dallas-based Southwest, which already controls most of the gates at the airport, are both vying for the spots.
Virgin, currently flying out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, abruptly announced April 25 they were moving their North Texas operation to Love Field after gaining approval to use the gates from the U.S. Justice Department.
The airline then began selling tickets for flights in and out of Love, even without the approval from the city — who owns the airport. Competition for the gates heated up as the city said the future of those gates had not been decided, despite the approval of the DOJ.
Branson has been in Dallas this week aiding in his airline's public relations campaign to sway the decision in Virgin's favor. While in town he's headlined a huge Cinco de Mayo rally at a Downtown Dallas restaurant-bar and given interview after interview with local media. Along the way, he's praised Southwest's underdog legacy but added, "They're no longer the David; they are the Goliath, and sometimes the Goliath needs a little bit of competition."
The gates up for grabs were previously owned by Fort Worth-based American Airlines, but had to be divested as part of the airline's merger with US Airways.
A.C. Gonzalez, the Dallas City Manager, has the final say and expects to have a decision on the gates by the end of the week.
