Love Field is the birthplace, corporate headquarters, and a major operating base ofSouthwest Airlines; as of August 2021, Southwest has a 95% market share at the airport.[6] Several full-servicefixed-base operators (FBOs) providegeneral aviation services: fuel, maintenance, hangar rentals, andair charters. The City of Dallas Department of Aviation headquarters is on the airport grounds.[7]
Dallas Love Field is named after Moss L. Love,[8] who, while assigned to theU.S. Army11th Cavalry, died in an airplane crash near San Diego, California, on September 4, 1913, becoming the tenth fatality in U.S. Army aviation history. HisWright Model C biplane crashed during practice for his Military Aviator Test.[9] Love Field was named by the United States Army on October 19, 1917.
Love Field in 1918 during World War I136th Aero Squadron (Later Squadron "C") Love Field Texas, 1918Training flight of 4 Curtiss JN-4Ds from Love FieldInstructor pilot sitting in a Curtis JN-4
Dallas Love Field originated in 1917 when the Army announced it would establish a series of camps to train prospective pilots after the United States entered intoWorld War I. The airfield was one of 32 new Air Service fields.[10] It was constructed just southeast ofBachman Lake, and it covered over 700 acres and could accommodate up to 1,000 personnel. Dozens of wooden buildings served as headquarters, maintenance, and officers' quarters. Enlisted men had tobivouac in tents.[11]
Love Field served as a base for flight training for the United States Army Air Service. In 1917, flight training occurred in two phases: primary and advanced. Primary training took eight weeks and consisted of pilots learning basic flight skills under dual and solo instruction. After completing their primary training at Love Field, flight cadets were transferred to another base for advanced training.[11]
After officially opening on October 19, 1917, the first unit stationed at Love Field was the 136th Aero Squadron, transferred from Kelly Field, south ofSan Antonio, Texas. Only a few U.S. Army Air Service aircraft arrived with the 136th Aero Squadron, and most of theCurtiss JN-4 Jenny aircraft to be used for flight training were shipped in wooden crates by railcar.[11] Training units assigned to Love Field during World War I were:[12]
Post Headquarters, Love Field, October 1917 – December 1919
71st Aero Squadron (II), February 1918
Re-designated as Squadron "A", July–November 1918
121st Aero Squadron (II), April 1918
Re-designated as Squadron "B", July–November 1918
136th Aero Squadron (II), November 1917
Re-designated as Squadron "C", July–November 1918
197th Aero Squadron, November 1917
Re-designated as Squadron "D", July–November 1918
Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A-D), November 1918 – November 1919
The 865th Aero Squadron (Repair) was formed at Love Field in March 1918 as a JN-4 aircraft repair and maintenance support unit. It was assigned to the Aviation Repair Depot, Dallas, Texas (at Love Field), in April 1918 and demobilized in March 1919.
With the suddenend of World War I in November 1918, the future operational status of Love Field was unknown. Many local officials speculated the U.S. government would keep the field open because of the outstanding combat record established by Love-trained pilots in Europe. Locals also pointed to the optimal weather conditions in the Dallas area for flight training. On November 11, 1918, cadets in flight training were allowed to complete their training; however, no new cadets were assigned to the base. The separate training squadrons were consolidated into a single Flying School detachment, as many of the personnel assigned were being demobilized.[11]
In December 1919, Love Field was deactivated as an active duty airfield and converted into a storage facility for surplusDe Havilland andJN-4 aircraft, some of the latter having been repurchased by theCurtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company in the spring of 1919.[13]: 12 In what was called "the largest recruiting mission in the spring and summer of 1919", Lt. Col. Henry B. Clagett began with seven DH-4s departing Dallas and flying as far asBoston.[13]: 8 A small caretaker unit was assigned to the facility for administrative reasons, and it was used intermittently to support small military units.
In January 1921, 1st Lt William D. Coney attempted to fly fromSan Diego toJacksonville with just one stop—at Love Field.[13]: 177 In 1921, the aviation repair depot next to Love Field moved to Kelly Field inSan Antonio to consolidate with the supply depot at Kelly and form the San Antonio Intermediate Air Depot. In 1923, Dallas was a route point betweenMuskogee andKelly Field on the southern division of the model airway.[13]: 152 However, by 1923, the decision had been made to phase down all activities at the new base in accordance with sharply reduced military budgets, and it was closed. TheWar Department had ordered the small caretaker force at Love Field to dismantle all remaining structures and to sell them as surplus. The War Department leased out the vacant land to local farmers and ranchers.
In 1928, Dallas purchased Love Field, which opened forcivilian use (the first passenger service was by theNational Air Transport company).[14] On April 9, 1932, the first paved runways at the airfield were completed.[15] In March 1939, the airfield had 21 weekday airline departures: 9American, 8Braniff and 4Delta.[16] On October 6, 1940, Love Field's Lemmon Avenue Terminal Building opened on the east side of the airfield.
"On 6 June 1939, the War Department approved...nine civil school detachments", including one at Dallas[17]: 18 (cf. a 1940 school approved for Ft Worth'sHicks Field,[17]: 26 a new 1942Ft Worth Airfield–Tarrant Field at the government plant and that had a four-engine pilots' school,[17]: 69 ) and a Ferrying Command control center at Dallas'sHensley Field.[17]: 144
By October 1940 at theTexas Army Airfields,[17]: 29 classes had entered the Dallas Texas Aviation School, which provided basic (level 1) flight training usingFairchild PT-19s as the primary trainer (severalPT-17 Stearmans and a fewP-40 Warhawks were also assigned.[citation needed]) TheGulf Coast ACTC school later moved toBrady, Texas;[17]: 32 and Love Field also had anAir Materiel Command modification center.[17]: 141 In September 1942, theAir Transport Command activity at Hensley Field moved to Love Field.[17]: 146 ATC's 5th Ferrying Group, consisting ofWomen's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadrons (WAFS) ferried PT-17s, AT-6s and twin-engine Cessna AT-17s; and Love Field was also used by the San Antonio Air Service Command for aircraft overhauls. The 2d Ferrying Squadron of the 5th Ferrying Group was moved byAir Transport Command from Love Field toFairfax Field at Kansas City on April 15, 1943.[18]
In September 1943, a new north–south runway 18/36 and northwest–southeast runway 13/31 were completed. Air Force facilities closed at the end of World War II[19][20] except for Love Field'sautomatic tracking radar station (call sign Dallas Bomb Plot) forRadar Bomb Scoring that had been established by June 6, 1945[21] (transferred toStrategic Air Command on March 21, 1946, 10th RBSS Det 1 by 1957).[22]
Postwar aerial view with Lemmon Ave. terminal and Runway 7/25 prior to closure, March 11, 1949
On November 29, 1949,American Airlines Flight 157, aDouglas DC-6 en route fromNew York City toDallas andMexico City with 46 passengers and crew, slid off Runway 36 after the flight crew lost control on final approach. The airliner struck buildings[N 1] and caught fire, killing 28. It was the deadliest air disaster in Texas history at the time[23] and, according to modern reference sources,[24] remains the deadliest crash at the airfield.
In 1953,Fort Worth opened Amon Carter Field, which would later becomeGreater Southwest International Airport, to compete with Love Field. Fort Worth had attempted to negotiate with Dallas to collaborate on the new airport, but Dallas repeatedly declined those attempts. Upon completion, all of the passenger airlines were transferred from Fort Worth's previous airline airport,Meacham Field, to Greater Southwest, leaving Love Field and Greater Southwest as the only air transportation options for theDallas–Fort Worth area.
The February 1953 C&GS diagram shows Runway 7 (4,301 ft (1,311 m)), Runway 13 (6,201 ft (1,890 m)) and Runway 18 (5,202 ft (1,586 m)). On June 1, 1954, Runway 7/25 was closed;[15] it was later removed to allow terminal expansion. Love Field then had two runways: Runway 13/31, the main runway, and the shorter 18/36.
The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 52 weekday departures on Braniff, 45 on American, 25 Delta, 21Trans-Texas, 12Central and 9Continental.[25] Three nonstops a day toWashington DC, three to New York/Newark, six to Chicago, five to California and 12 a week to Mexico City.
Turbine-power flights began on April 1, 1959, when Continental Airlines introduced theVickers Viscount turboprop. Jet airline flights began on July 12, 1959, when American Airlines startedBoeing 707 flights to New York. By 1963, Love Field had direct, no change of plane Boeing 707 jet service toLondon andFrankfurt jointly operated daily by Braniff International andPan American World Airways (Pan Am). The trips were conducted via aninterchange agreement between the two airlines, with these flights making an intermediate stop atChicago O'Hare Airport.[28]
In 1961, Mr. and Mrs. Earle Wyatt gave a large bronze statue titledOne Riot, One Ranger for display in the airport's new terminal. Famed Texas-born sculptorWaldine Tauch created the piece. The inscription refers to an incident in which a singleTexas Ranger was supposedly dispatched to quell a riot.[15] The statue was removed from the airport in June 2020 after it was revealed that the ranger who modeled for the statue had been dispatched to the Dallas area in 1956 to helpwhite supremacist protesters defy lawful efforts to endracial segregation of local public schools.[29][30]
On April 2, 1965, the 8,800 ft (2,700 m) parallel Runway 13R/31L opened (Runway 13/31 became Runway 13L/31R).[31] The project had been vexed by legal wrangling; safety concerns were raised regarding its proximity to schools[32] and its minimalsafety areas,[33] while nearby residents attempted to stop the anticipated increase in jet noise and the removal of homes and businesses adjacent to the airport to accommodate the project.[34][35]
Several terminal expansion programs were fueled by the boom in air travel during the 1960s. American Airlines expanded its concourse in 1968, andBraniff opened its "Terminal of the Future." The expansion, showcasingAlexander Girard,Herman Miller andRay andCharles Eames designs, featured the first rotunda concourse, jet bridges, and several airport innovations. Braniff connected their new terminal to new remote parking lots with theJetrailmonorail system in 1970.[36] Texas International expanded their concourse in 1969, and Delta's concourse was expanded in 1970.[15] By 1972, American used 14 gates on the west end of the terminal, Delta used 13 gates, Braniff International andOzark together used 13 gates on the east end of the terminal, andTexas International used seven gates.[37] According to theOfficial Airline Guide (OAG), both Braniff International and Delta were operatingBoeing 747-100 jumbo jet service from Love Field during the early 1970s with Braniff flying the 747 nonstop toHonolulu and Delta flying 747 nonstops to bothAtlanta andLos Angeles.[38]
In 1964, theCivil Aeronautics Board (CAB), tired of funding competing commercial airports inDallas andFort Worth, gave the two cities a six-month period to plan a new regional airport. In 1968, they finalized an agreement to build Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport (nowDallas Fort Worth International Airport or DFW) and to restrict air-carrier operations at their respective municipal airports to promote the new facility. All carriers then operating at Love Field—American, Braniff, Continental, Delta,Eastern,Frontier, Ozark, and Texas International—simultaneously agreed to shift all commercial flights to DFW Airport when it opened in early 1974.[39]
In 1971,Southwest Airlines—arguing that the CAB had no jurisdiction over purely intrastate flights—received anair operator's certificate from the State of Texas to operate from any airport in theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and began quick, no-frills flights between Love Field,Houston, andSan Antonio. Southwest had not signed the 1968 regional airport agreement, and the airline's founders felt that Dallas residents would find the long drive to DFW Airport inconvenient and contrary to the notion of a quick trip. The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and the Dallas–Fort Worth Regional Airport Board sued, arguing that the 1968 agreement gave them the authority to force Southwest to fly from DFW; however, the courts ruled in Southwest's favor, stating that the cities could not block the airline from using Love Field so long as it remained open as an airport.[39]
In 1972, Love Field saw anaircraft hijacking. On January 12, 1972, Billy Gene Hurst Jr., a resident of Houston, hijackedBraniff Flight 38, aBoeing 727, as it departedWilliam P. Hobby Airport in Houston bound for Dallas. After the plane landed at Love Field, Hurst allowed all 94 passengers to deplane but continued to hold the seven crewmembers hostage. Hurst insisted on flying to South America and made a variety of other demands, including food, cigarettes,parachutes, jungle survival gear,US$2,000,000 (equivalent to $15,034,208 in 2024), and a handgun. After a 6-hour standoff, police gave Hurst a package containing parachutes and some other items, and the hostages escaped while he was distracted examining the package's contents. Police stormed the craft soon afterward and arrested him without serious incident. He was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.[40][41][42][43]
In 1973, Love Field, which had more than 70 gates and saw frequentBoeing 747 service, reached record enplanements at 6,668,398 and ranked as the eighth busiest airport in the United States. On January 13, 1974, DFW Airport opened, ending most passenger service at Love Field.[15][44]Greater Southwest International Airport, which was located just south of DFW Airport and lay in its flight path, was permanently closed and subsequently demolished.
In early 1974, to capitalize on a perception among Dallas residents that Love Field was more convenient than DFW Airport,Metroflight Airlines inaugurated flights between Love and DFW usingde Havilland Twin Otters. Airfare was only $10 ($63.76 in2024), which was advertised as less than a typical one-way taxi fare between Dallas and DFW Airport. However, the service proved unprofitable, and it was discontinued in September 1975.[45]
With the drastic reduction in flights and only 467,212 enplanements in 1975,[15] Love Field decommissioned several of its concourses.
The city of Dallas attempted to use these dormant facilities by leasing some to Wesley Goyer, who opened the Llove Entertainment Complex in November 1975. The main lobby at the front of a former terminal was transformed into movie theaters, an ice rink, a roller rink, huge video arcades, restaurants, and a bowling alley. During its first two weeks, the Llove center saw 800 people on weekdays and more than 4,000 during the weekend, exceeding Goyer's expectations. Llove seemed especially suited for the pre-teen and teen crowd, who could spend the day for a single admission charge of about $2.95 ($17.24 in2024). After exceeding expectations initially, by the end of the first full year of operation, Llove's attendance rates had drastically dropped, leading to the complex being closed in May 1978.[46]
Afterderegulation of the U.S. airline industry in 1978, Southwest Airlines announced plans to start interstate service in 1979, a proposal quickly endorsed by federal regulators. This upset local officials, who feared increased commercial traffic at Love Field could threaten DFW Airport's financial stability. To protect DFW Airport from significant competition at Love Field, Fort Worth-based U.S.Representative (laterSpeaker of the House)Jim Wright pushed a law throughCongress, theWright Amendment, which restricted air service at Love Field in the following ways: Passenger service on regular mid-sized and largeaircraft could only be provided from Love Field to locations withinTexas and four neighboringstates (Louisiana,Arkansas,Oklahoma, andNew Mexico). Airlines could not offer connecting flights, through service on another airline, or through ticketing beyond the five-state region. Long-haul service to other states was only allowed using aircraft with 56 or fewerpassenger seats.[47]
The amendment dissuaded major airlines from starting service out of Love Field, which freed Southwest from direct competition, and the airline continued to build its Love Field operation by offering convenient short-haul flights. This success eventually prompted other airlines to consider using the airport for short-haul trips. Southwest co-founder Lamar Muse startedMuse Air, a short-haul competitor operatingMcDonnell Douglas DC-9 andMcDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets between Love Field and Houston in 1982. Muse Air was unable to operate profitably at Love Field and was purchased by Southwest in 1985, renamedTranStar Airlines, and ultimately shut down in 1987.Continental Airlines proposed to fly out of Love Field in 1985, which led to years of court battles over the interpretation of the Wright Amendment, as Fort Worth and DFW Airport sought to prevent expansion at Love Field. Although Continental's proposal was ultimately stillborn, it led to aUnited States Department of Transportation (USDOT) ruling that the Wright Amendment only prohibited through-ticketing specific flight segments to or from Love Field, and that selling a passenger a separate ticket on a connecting flight at another airport—a practice known as double ticketing—was legal if the second ticket was not offered until the traveler asked for it. This further benefited Southwest by allowing a sophisticated passenger towork the system and bypass the Wright ticketing restrictions by flying from Love Field to another airport in the five-state region, changing planes, and then flying on a separate ticket to any city Southwest served.[47]
In the early 1990s, a faction led by Dallas city councilman Jerry Bartos lobbied for the repeal of the Wright Amendment, but the effort soon became mired in lawsuits and was halted by Dallas mayorSteve Bartlett following negotiations with Fort Worth. However, in 1996, Love-based upstartLegend Airlines said it would operate long-haul flights under the 56-passenger exemption, usingMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets modified in a 56-seat all-business class configuration.[N 2] However, the USDOT ruled in September 1996 that the 56-seat restriction applied to the "designed capacity" of an airliner rather than to the number of seats actually installed, prompting Legend to seek a change in the law; Texas Rep.Joe Barton was soon calling for the U.S. House to change the 56-seat rule.[48][49]
By July 1997, Legend CEO and former FAA administratorT. Allan McArtor had enlisted the help of SenatorRichard Shelby of Alabama, who proposed an amendment to allow Legend to use the refurbished planes.[50] In 1997, theShelby Amendment was passed byCongress; a compromise of sorts, the new law allowed Love Field flights to three more states:Kansas,Mississippi, andAlabama, and amended the definition of 56-passenger jets that could fly to other states to include any aircraft weighing less than 300,000 lb (140,000 kg) with 56 or fewer seats.
The Shelby Amendment prompted other airlines to consider flying 56-passenger jets out of Love Field, including Continental andDelta. Fort Worth immediately sued Dallas to prevent the Shelby Amendment from going into effect. American Airlines, headquartered at DFW, joined the lawsuits against Dallas, but also said if other airlines were allowed to fly out of Love Field, it would have no choice but to offer competing service. In 1998, after a year of legal decisions and appeals,Continental Express became only the fourth airline to fly out of Love Field since 1974 with service toGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport inHouston; however, federal courts blocked the airline's proposed interstate service.[51] Despite the Shelby Amendment, Southwest did not add flights to the new states, citing a lack of demand.[52]
On February 10, 2000, a federal judge lifted the injunction against Continental Express' proposed interstate service toCleveland, and the airline announced that flights would begin on June 1.[53] After further legal battles and delays in gaining final approval from the FAA, Legend began the first long-haul service from Love Field since 1974 with a flight toDulles International Airport (IAD) on April 5, 2000, using a refurbished 56-seat DC-9-30.[54] Legend soon operated scheduled passenger service nonstop from Love Field to Los Angeles (LAX), New YorkLaGuardia Airport (LGA), Las Vegas (LAS), and Dulles.[55] Although continuing their legal efforts, American Airlines launched a direct challenge to Legend with its first flights from Love Field since 1974, starting service on May 1 withFokker 100 jets reconfigured with 56 seats with nonstop flights toChicago (ORD) andLos Angeles (LAX).[56]
In 2000, several federalappeals court decisions struck down all lawsuits against the Shelby Amendment. Fort Worth and American Airlines appealed to theU.S. Supreme Court, which refused to review the case. These decisions opened the door to increased long-haul flights out of Love Field using 56-passenger jets, including new service by Delta, whose regional affiliateAtlantic Southeast Airlines began flights to Delta'sAtlanta hub in July. The majority of this 56-passenger jet market was composed of business travelers making day trips to other cities. However, Legend was unable to operate profitably; it suspended flight operations indefinitely in early December and dissolved a few months later.
In November 2004, Southwest announced their active opposition to the Wright Amendment, claiming that the law was anti-competitive and outdated – it placed banners throughout the airport grounds declaring,Wright is wrong. In November 2005, SenatorKit Bond ofMissouri attached an amendment to a transportation spending bill to exempt his state from the Wright restrictions. Soon after the bill's passage, Southwest began nonstop flights from Love Field toSt. Louis andKansas City on December 13, 2005.[52] The same day, American Airlines announced that it would start service from Love Field to the same Missouri airports on March 2, 2006, along with flights to the Southwest strongholds ofSan Antonio andAustin.[57]
On June 15, 2006, a compromise was reached between American, Southwest, DFW Airport and the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth to repeal the Wright Amendment with several conditions. Among them: the ban on nonstop flights outside the Wright zone would remain until 2014; through-ticketing to domestic airports (connecting flights to long-haul destinations) would be allowed immediately; Love Field's gate count would be permanently reduced from 32 to 20; and Love Field would handle only domestic flights non-stop. Southwest would be able to operate from 16 gates, American 2 gates, and Continental 2 gates. U.S. SenatorKay Bailey Hutchison led the effort to pass the bill in the Senate while Rep.Kay Granger led a bipartisan Texas House coalition to see the bill through to a successful conclusion in the House. PresidentGeorge W. Bush signed the bill into law on October 13, 2006.[58] Along with the 20-gate cap, the repeal prohibits international commercial flights from the airport, and if Southwest begins flights from any other North Texas airport before 2025, it must give up one Love Field gate.[59]
On October 17, 2006, Southwest Airlines announced it would begin one-stop or connecting service between Love Field and 25 destinations outside the Wright zone on October 19, 2006.[60] American Airlines made travel between Love Field and locations outside the Wright zone available by October 18, 2006.[61][62]
In early 2009, a plan to modernize Love Field was announced. The $519 million master plan would replace the terminals with a new 20-gate concourse and expanded baggage facilities.[44] The project also called for a $250Mpeople mover system to connect toDallas Area Rapid Transit'sBurbank Station, but this was eliminated in favor of a cheaper bus connection toInwood Station.[63]
Aerial photo of Dallas Love Field, looking South with downtown Dallas in the distance.
Southwest Airlines added Baltimore, Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, Washington–Reagan and Chicago–Midway on October 13, 2014, the day the repeal went into effect. The first flight to operate outside of the Wright Amendment restricted area was Southwest Airlines flight 1013 to Denver (the flight number of which was named after the date). On November 2, 2014, Southwest added new service to Atlanta, Nashville, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York–LaGuardia, Phoenix, San Diego, Orange County (California) and Tampa.[64]
In the early 2010s, the airport saw two significant perimeter security breaches by vehicles. In 2010, a man crashed a pickup truck through a chain-link perimeter fence while being pursued by Dallas police vehicles outside the airport, leading police on a chase around airport grounds until a police vehicle crashed into his truck; the driver was arrested and imprisoned. In the second incident in 2013, a man drove an SUV along a taxiway at high speed after an aviation company employee opened a gate to ask him what he wanted; the man was found sitting in a hangar and was arrested. Airport authorities said that steps would be taken to prevent future incursions.[65]
To get its merger withUS Airways approved by theDepartment of Justice (DOJ), American Airlines was forced to give up its 2 gates at Love Field.Delta Air Lines,Southwest Airlines andVirgin America all expressed interest, while the DOJ indicated alow cost carrier should receive the gates.[66] The former American Airlines gates were granted to Virgin America on October 13, 2014, thus denying the gates to Delta and Southwest.[67][68] In 2018, Virgin America merged intoAlaska Airlines, and the two gates assigned to Virgin were transferred to Alaska.[69]
Interior of the renovated terminal
Until 2014, Delta served Love Field by subleasing the use of American's gates. After being notified it would have to cease service at Love, Delta threatened to sue the city of Dallas. Southwest agreed to a temporary resolution by agreeing to sublease gate space to Delta until January 2015. When this agreement expired,United Airlines agreed to allow Delta to use one of its gates until July 2015.[70] United had previously agreed to transfer its gate rights to Southwest. The city of Dallas brought a lawsuit against all parties in June 2015 to resolve the issue in court. In January 2016, Delta won apreliminary injunction to continue service at Love Field using Southwest gate rights.[71][72] In 2022, the airport settled the lawsuit by leasing back one of the two gates controlled by Alaska Airlines, which had sharply cut its schedule at the airport from 13 flights per day in 2019 to just two in 2022. That gate was then leased to Delta until September 2028.[73] With the settlement in place, Delta announced that it would expand service beyond Atlanta, adding flights to Los Angeles andNew York–LaGuardia.[74]
On June 10, 2016, a police officer intervening in a domestic altercation shot and wounded a suspect who rushed at him with a large stone in the vehicle loading zone near the baggage claim. Travelers hearing gunshots stampeded through the security checkpoint, prompting a brief evacuation of the terminal, which in turn caused the cancellation of about 30 flights. This is believed to have been the first shooting ever to take place at the airport.[75]
In 2017, runway 18/36 was converted to a taxiway after low usage due to close proximity to homes.
In November 2020, the carrierJSX began passenger service from Love Field to Houston Hobby, adding competition to the route dominated by Southwest Airlines. JSX operates from a private terminal on the north side of the airport rather than using the main concourse.
On April 22, 2021, the airport initiated a $141 million project to completely demolish and rebuild runway 13R/31L, which was last repaved in 1990 using concrete designed to last 20 years at lighter Wright Amendment traffic levels. The project temporarily left Love Field with only a single usable runway. Airport leaders had hoped to repave the runway while air traffic wasreduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the project was postponed due to pandemic-related funding uncertainties.[76] The project was completed on June 28, 2022.[77]
On July 25, 2022, a woman drew a gun near the ticket counters outside of the security checkpoint. A nearby Dallas police officer ordered her to drop the weapon; she then fired twice into the air, and was shot in the "lower extremities" in a brief exchange of gunfire with the officer, disabling her. She was then apprehended and hospitalized. The incident prompted an evacuation of the terminal and aground stop, resulting in the cancellation of over 105 flights. No motive for the woman's actions was identified but she had a history of mental illness and arrests on various charges.[78][79][80][81] She was charged withaggravated assault against a public servant but was found not guilty forreasons of insanity.[82]
On February 11, 2025,Alaska Airlines announced that it would discontinue flights to Love Field on May 14, 2025.
After Alaska Airlines departed from Love Field, Southwest became the only carrier flying out of Alaska's unleased gate 13, with some of their flights having been out of that gate even before the 14th.[83] On August 8th, 2025, Love Field noted in their updated competition plan to the FAA that Alaska Airlines entered into a reciprocal licensing agreement with Southwest for them to operate out of the former Alaska gate.[84] The term for that gate expires October 1, 2028, at which time the gate will no longer be eligible for preferential use by Southwest. It will either become a common use gate or be assigned to another airline that isn’t Southwest. The airport is planning on the former.
Dallas Love Field has a single terminal with 20 gates, numbered 1-20. Delta Air Lines leases one gate, while Southwest leases the remaining nineteen gates.
JSX operates from a private terminal on the south side of the airport rather than using the main terminal.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates the Love Link shuttle, which provides service between the airport terminal and nearbyInwood/Love Field station, which is served by DART'sOrange andGreen light rail lines. There is no charge for trips on the Love Link shuttles departing the airport terminal.[85]
December 23, 1936: ABraniff AirwaysLockheed Model 10 Electra airliner, registration numberNC-14905, suffered an engine failure during ago-around while conducting a non-scheduled test flight. The aircraft entered aspin and crashed on the northern shore of Bachman Lake when the pilot attempted to turn back toward Love Field. All six Braniff employees aboard died in the crash and ensuing fire.[166]
November 29, 1949:American AirlinesFlight 157, aDouglas DC-6, was on final approach to Runway 36 when the flight crew lost control, causing the airliner to slide off the runway and strike buildings. 26 passengers and twoflight attendants died in the crash and ensuing fire; the pilot,co-pilot,flight engineer, and 15 others survived.
May 15, 1953: ABraniff International AirwaysDouglas DC-4 carrying 48 passengers and five crew slid off the end of Runway 36, crossed Lemmon Avenue, and plowed into an embankment. Despite reportedly heavyautomobile traffic on the busy street, no vehicles were struck, and nobody aboard the airliner was seriously injured. The crash was attributed to poor braking action on the rain-slicked runway.[167]
July 9, 1953: ASouthern Air TransportCurtiss-WrightC-46 Commando cargo transport, carrying a crew of two, skidded off the runway and flipped over after a hard landing. The pilot suffered significant injuries; the co-pilot escaped safely.[168]
May 14, 1960: The pilot of aBeechcraft Bonanza private plane suffered an apparentheart attack and fellunconscious while en route fromFort Worth to Dallas. The pilot's wife and sole passenger, who was not a trained pilot, managed to guide the Bonanza to Love Field but crashed while attempting to land. Both occupants suffered severe injuries and the pilot was pronounced dead, but it is unclear whether his death resulted from the heart attack or from injuries sustained during the crash.[169][170]
September 14, 1960: An airline maintenance inspector lost control of aBraniff International AirwaysDouglas DC-7 during a taxi test and crashed into a hangar at high speed. The inspector died and five of the six mechanics aboard were injured.[171]
April 18, 1962: ADouglas DC-3 operated by an aviation company affiliated withPurdue University, registration numberN3588, crashed immediately after taking off to test a newly installed engine. The craft exploded into flames, killing all three people aboard.[172][173] The crash was attributed to insufficientairspeed at takeoff, and theNational Transportation Safety Board noted that the pilot was not properly qualified to fly a DC-3.[174]
April 19, 1963: ABeechcraft Bonanza private plane crashed short of the runway on final approach, killing both occupants.[175]
January 29, 1966: APiper Cherokee Sixair taxi, registration numberN3246W, suffered an engine failure on final approach to Love Field and struck trees while the pilot was attempting an emergency landing on a nearby street.[176] The pilot and five passengers were injured; the engine failure was attributed tocarburetor icing.[177]
February 10, 1967: ABeechcraft D18S, registration numberN7388, crashed at Love Field after a propeller blade separated during takeoff; the pilot and both passengers died.[178]
September 27, 1967: All seven occupants of anAero Commander 560E, registration numberN3831C, died after the left-hand wing broke during the landing approach, sending the plane plummeting into Mockingbird Lane inHighland Park, Texas. Wreckage tore through the playground ofBradfield Elementary School. The school was not in session and nobody on the ground was seriously harmed.[179]
September 29, 1970: After a scheduled flight fromDenver, Colorado, thelanding gear of aBraniff International AirwaysBoeing 720, registration numberN7080, collapsed during landing. The automatic gear extension mechanism had failed in flight and the flight crew manually lowered the gear but neglected to lock it in the "Down" position. The airliner slid to a halt on the runway, suffering significant damage. There were no injuries to the 47 passengers and seven crew.[180][181]
June 7, 1971: ADallas Police DepartmentBell 47G-5helicopter, registration numberN2022W, was destroyed when heavy winds blew the craft into an airfield fence during landing; theobserver suffered minor injuries and the pilot escaped safely.[182][183]
December 26, 1973: The pilot of a Tricon International AirlinesBeechcraft C-45H cargo transport, registration numberN118X, lost control while circling Love Field for a precautionary landing after being unable to raise thelanding gear during takeoff. The C-45 struck two houses southeast of the airport, killing the pilot and injuring a person on the ground. The crash was attributed to insufficientairspeed and improper loading.[184][185]
April 18, 1975: ACessna 310F, registration numberN5818X, ran off the end of the runway, struck a fence, and burned after losing engine power during takeoff. The craft's two occupants, a student pilot and flight instructor, escaped with minor injuries. The crash was attributed tofuel starvation: the student pilot had mishandled the fuel control valve (known as the fuel selector) and taken off with the fuel tanks disconnected from the engines.[186][187]
June 8, 1976: The pilot of aCessna 175, registration numberN9259B, executed an emergency landing on nearby Mockingbird Lane soon after takeoff from Love Field, striking a telephone pole and a moving automobile. The aircraft was substantially damaged, but there were no serious injuries to the aircraft's four occupants or to the driver of the car. The crash was attributed to insufficient airspeed and overloading.[188][189]
April 20, 1990: ABeechcraft Baron 58, registration numberN770X, crashed short of Runway 31L, destroying the aircraft and killing the pilot, who was the sole occupant. The pilot had requested permission to return to the airport immediately after takeoff, and a witness reported hearing the engines "sputtering and misfiring" before the crash. NTSB investigators determined that thefuel boost pump controls were set improperly, which would have caused a loss of engine power. The accident was attributed to"The pilot's improper use of the fuel boost pumps for take [sic], and his failure to maintain airspeed above theminimum single engine control speed (VMC), which resulted in a loss of aircraft control."[190]
January 27, 2000: After its tailplanedeicing system failed during the landing approach, aMitsubishi MU-300 business jet, registration numberN900WJ, touched down on Runway 31R at higher-than-normal speed as recommended for such a situation. When it became evident that the aircraft was going to overrun the runway due to the high speed and poor braking action on theslush-covered pavement, the pilot intentionally steered the jet into an embankment to avoid striking light poles past the far end of the runway. There were no injuries to the four passengers or two crew, but the aircraft was written off.[191][192]
November 15, 2024: At 9:50 pm local time, Southwest Airlines Flight 2494, aBoeing 737-800, was struck near the cockpit by a bullet while preparing to take off. No injuries were reported, the aircraft safely returned to the gate, and the passengers transferred to another aircraft which departed about two hours later. The incident aircraft was taken out of service. Dallas police, theDallas Fire-Rescue Department, and the FAA initiated investigations.[193][194][195]
^The crash occurred in the neighborhood northwest of Love Field and southeast of Bachman Lake; many of the buildings and streets in this area were later removed to accommodate Runway 13R/31L.
^A DC-9-30 has a typical passenger capacity of 115 in an all-economy configuration.
^"Aviation AdministrationArchived January 6, 2010, at theWayback Machine." City of Dallas. Retrieved on January 19, 2010. "Dallas Love Field 8008 Cedar Springs Road, LB 16 Dallas, TX 75235"
^Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint)
^abcdMaurer, Maurer. Aviation in the US Army, 1919–1939 (Report).ISBN0-912799-38-2.On July 17, 1926,...the Air Corps got two new brigadier generals [promoted from lieutenant colonel, including] William E. Gillmore to be Chief of the Materiel Division to be created at Dayton, Ohio. ... Major Schroeder and Lieutenant Macready's altitude work had a direct bearing on air power for it led to superchargers, oxygen systems, and other equipment ... TheBoeing 299 crashed during testing at Wright Field on October 30, 1935. Aboard were Tower and four men from the Materiel Division-Maj. Ployer P. Hill, Chief of the Flying Branch, pilot; 1st Lt. Donald L. Putt, copilot; John B. Cutting, engineer; and Mark H. Koogler, mechanic. Taking off, the plane climbed steeply to 300 feet, stalled, crashed, and caught fire. Tower and Hill died. Investigation disclosed that no one had unlocked the rudder and elevator controls.
^Payne, Darwin and Kathy Fitzpatrick (1999),From Prairie To Planes, Three Forks Press.
^Official Aviation Guide shows (Report). Chicago: Official Aviation Guide Company.
^abcdefghFutrell, Robert F. (July 1947). Development of AAF Base Facilities in the United States: 1939–1945 (Report). Vol. ARS-69: US Air Force Historical Study No 69 (Copy No. 2). Air Historical Office.The headquarters and the experimental activities of the Material Division, OCAC, were located at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, a new field that had been occupied in 1927.22 (p. 7)
^Manning, Thomas A. (2005),History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, TexasOCLC71006954,29991467
^Shaw, Frederick J. (2004),Locating Air Force Base Sites, History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC.OCLC57007862,1050653629
^Hellickson, Gene, ed. (November 9, 1983).Historical Summary: Radar Bomb Scoring, 1945–1983(PDF) (Report). Office of History,1st Combat Evaluation Group.Archived(PDF) from the original on September 21, 2013. RetrievedOctober 1, 2012.On 6 June 1945, the 206th Army Air Force Base Unit (RBS) ( 206th AAFBU), was activated atColorado Springs, Colorado under the command of Colonel Robert W. Burns. He assumed operational control of the two SCR-584 radar detachments located at Kansas City[where?] and Fort Worth [sic][Det B at Dallas Love Field]... On July 24, 1945, the 206th was redesignated the 63rd AAFBU (RBS) and three weeks later was moved to Mitchell [sic] Field, New York, and placed under the command of the Continental Air Force. [sic] On March 5, 1946, the organization moved back to Colorado Springs[dubious –discuss] and on March 8 of the same year was redesignated the263rd AAFBU. (html transcription available athttp://www.1stcombatevaluationgroup.com/aboutus.htmlArchived December 10, 2004, at theWayback Machine )
^Bleakley, Bruce (2013).Images of Aviation: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 65.ISBN978-1-4671-3040-0.
^Maxon, Terry; Dodge, Robert (November 21, 1996). "Dalfort planning to start up Love Field airline next year".The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
^Zimmerman, Ann (October 16, 1997). "The (W)right to Fly – How little Legend Airlines beat mammoth American at its own game".Dallas Observer. Dallas, Texas.
^Whittle, Richard (August 17, 1997). "Little Airline – Big Brawl – Dallas start-up Legend Air has collected some powerful allies – and foes – in its fight to fly out of Love Field".The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
^Maxon, Terry (June 12, 1998). "Competition Takes Off – Continental Express launches Love Field service".The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
^abBanstetter, Trebor (December 14, 2005). "Flying into new territory – Southwest flight to St. Louis marks first outside Wright boundaries".Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas.
^Yung, Katherine (February 22, 2000). "Judge OKs Love flights to Cleveland – Continental Express to add service June 1".The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
^Reed, Dan (April 6, 2000). "Legend takes off from Love Field after 4-year legal fight – Passengers enthusiastic about resuming commercial long-haul – service".Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas.
^Yung, Katherine (May 2, 2000). "In the air again – American's long-haul luxury flights take off from Love Field".The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
^Torbenson, Eric (December 14, 2005). "American unveils flight schedule for Love Field – Airline plans 16 daily trips to Missouri, two Texas cities".The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
^"Braniff Airways Plane Crashes, Burning Six to Death; Ship Falls on Shore of Bachman's Lake as Motors Fail".The Dallas Morning News. October 17, 1942.
Houston–Hobby, Texas
Denver, Colorado
Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona
Atlanta, Georgia
Las Vegas, Nevada
Orlando, Florida
Chicago–Midway, Illinois
Nashville, Tennessee
New Orleans, Louisiana
