Judge Calls for End of Love Field Constraints

A district judge is calling on Congress to end all constraints at Dallas Love Field so the airport can grow.

District Judge Ed Kinkeade criticized Congress in a Federal Court ruling.

"The time for these elected officials to consider an end to all constraints on Love Field is now," he wrote.

Love Field is the only airport in the country controlled by a federal statue. The current gate and flight limitations are part of the Wright Amendment negotiations. When the Wright Amendment expired in October of 2014, the number of gates at Love Field went from 32 to 20. Southwest currently controls 18 of those 20 gates.

The recent Federal court case started as Delta looked to expand at Love Field. Kinkeade ruled that Delta can continue its five flights out of Love Field every day and Southwest must make room for Delta.

"This was a congressional act," CompareFare.com. CEO Rick Seaney said. "Not easy to get through, especially today, in today's times."

Seaney said more airlines at Love Field would create more competition and be better for consumers, but he doesn't expect Love Field to expand much more.

"It's sort of land locked," he said. "I could see it expanding potentially a few gates, but not anything close to what you have out at DFW."

Some people who live in the neighborhoods surrounding Love Field don't want to see the airport add any flights.

"The perspective is that it's this cute little airport, that sits near downtown," said Judd Bradbury who lives close to the airport. "Without a lot of thinking about the noise impact, the environmental impact, the externalities that go along with an airport that really need to be managed."

Aviation Attorney Kent Krause said if there is any action from Congress, it will take years to settle.

The City of Dallas said they didn't want to comment on Judge Kinkeade's ruling since there are other parties involved in the suit.