This caused a number of interest groups affiliated with DFW, including the city of Fort Worth, to push the Wright Amendment through Congress to restrict such flights.
Under the restrictions of the amendment AmericanAirlines, and all other airlines, were barred from operating, or even ticketing passengers on flights from Love Field to destinations beyond the states immediately surrounding Texas. In effect, to travel through Love Field, a passenger and luggage would have to deplane and fly on a separate ticket, on a separate aircraft. The Wright Amendment left one loophole, that aircraft configured with 56 or fewer seats are exempt from the Wright Amendment. In 2000 Legend Airlines attempted to operate long distance business-class flights using older DC-9s with 56 seats, but did not have the resources to survive American's legal and marketing attacks, and quickly ceased operations. AmericanAirlines has not used the 56 seat loophole, even with its market strength at Love Field and the availability of more modern regional jets such as the CRJ-700/900 and the Embraer E-jets.
AmericanAirlines's efforts to repeal or even alter the Wright Amendment had been met with opposition from American Airlines and DFW International Airport. Both American Airlines and DFW contended that repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions would cripple DFW, while AmericanAirlines contended that repeal of the Wright Amendment would be beneficial to both Love Field and DFW. Continental Airlines has a successful hub and spoke operation at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport despite unrestricted competition from AmericanAirlines at
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Houston Hobby Airport.
In 1997, AmericanAirlines's effort began to pay off with the Shelby Amendment which added the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kansas to the list of permissible destination states. As of 2006, AmericanAirlines does not operate any nonstops from Love Field to cities in the Shelby Amendment states, and does not serve any airport in Kansas. AmericanAirlines does, however, offer service between Dallas Love Field and Birmingham, AL, and Jackson, MS, via connections at Houston, which it couldn't do prior to the enactment of the Shelby Amendment.
Since late 2004, AmericanAirlines has been actively seeking the full repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions. In late 2005, Missouri was added to the list of permissible destination states via a transportation appropriations bill. New service from Love Field to St. Louis and Kansas City quickly started in December of 2005.
At a June 15, 2006 joint press conference held by the City of Dallas, the City of Ft. Worth, DFW Airport, American Airlines, and AmericanAirlines, the said parties announced a tentative agreement on how the Wright Amendment was to be phased out. Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed Wright-related legislation on September 29, 2006, and it was signed into law by the President on October 13, 2006. The new law became effective on October 16, 2006, when the FAA Administrator notified Congress that any new aviation operations occuring as a result of the new law could be accommodated without adverse effect to the airspace. AmericanAirlines plans to start selling tickets undet the new law on October 19, 2006. Highlights of the agreement are the immediate elimination of through-ticketing prohibitions, and unrestricted flights to domestic destinations 8 years after the legislation takes effect.
AmericanAirlines remains the dominant passenger airline at Love Field, maintains its headquarters, hangars, and flight simulators adjacent thereto, and reflects its ties to Love Field in its ticker symbol (LUV).
Despite the restrictions on its home base, AmericanAirlines proceeded to build a successful business on an unusual model: flying multiple short, quick trips into the secondary (more efficient and less costly) airports of major cities, using primarily only one aircraft type, the Boeing 737.
