Nuts About Southwest

This is a story of a Dallas-based airline that was led by an aviation entrepreneur and a lawyer; it faced a long legal battle with Braniff just to get into the air; it had a highly motivated group of employees; and once it took flight, it faced continued battles to reduce its competitive ability.  No, I’m not talking about Southwest, but, the similarities are almost eerie.  T

Although many consider me “antique hardware,” I am referring to computer hardware.  The 1970s was a decade of great change for the airline industry.  The first wide-bodied aircraft took to the airways, airline deregulation came about, one airport, Love Field, was reregulated with the Wright Amendment, and the first hardware resembling today’s computers began appearing in air

It’s no secret that I love to ride the train, and a few years ago when I heard that the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) was going to build the Green Line on the right of way of the old Katy (Missouri-Kansas-Texas) Railroad branch line along Denton Drive, I got very excited. 

In last week’s installment, we looked at the areas of Love Field that were abandoned by the other airlines when they moved to the DFW Airport on Sunday, January 13, 1974.  This week, we look at how, on that Sunday, Southwest began remaking the terminal to suit its needs.

Continuing the “June is Our Birthday Month” series, we look at a pivotal day in the history of Love Field.  As we saw in earlier posts this month, Love Field in the early 1970s was a busy place.