wnbubbleboy
Veteran
Ron Ricks, Southwest's senior vice president of public affairs, said Southwest officials believe that it's up to them to offer up a "substantive, specific suggestion" for how to end the squabbles.
He said no one asked Southwest to do it.
"We just thought it was obvious that would be the correct thing to do under the circumstances," he said. "Southwest Airlines is perfectly happy to take the ball and run with it, but that doesn't necessarily entail meeting with American. In other words, we're not negotiating with American Airlines. We're responding to requests made in public by two city governments."
Ricks said Southwest's "suggestion" will address three key areas: the phaseout of the Wright Amendment over time, limits on the number of gates at Love Field, and connecting and one-stop ticketing. Stakeholders in the debate have also mentioned airport user fees and the creation of a regional airport authority as two other important deal points.
Ricks was not specific how long it will take Southwest to come up its proposal. "It will not take us that long to use our No. 2 pencil and put something on a yellow legal pad," he said.
American has said that it won't join in negotiations for a local compromise unless all options are on the table, including its suggestion that Love Field be closed to commercial traffic.
Ricks said Southwest won't try to persuade American to negotiate.
"American has to respond how ever they see fit," he said. "It's not up to us to get American to the table."
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/14075374.htm
He said no one asked Southwest to do it.
"We just thought it was obvious that would be the correct thing to do under the circumstances," he said. "Southwest Airlines is perfectly happy to take the ball and run with it, but that doesn't necessarily entail meeting with American. In other words, we're not negotiating with American Airlines. We're responding to requests made in public by two city governments."
Ricks said Southwest's "suggestion" will address three key areas: the phaseout of the Wright Amendment over time, limits on the number of gates at Love Field, and connecting and one-stop ticketing. Stakeholders in the debate have also mentioned airport user fees and the creation of a regional airport authority as two other important deal points.
Ricks was not specific how long it will take Southwest to come up its proposal. "It will not take us that long to use our No. 2 pencil and put something on a yellow legal pad," he said.
American has said that it won't join in negotiations for a local compromise unless all options are on the table, including its suggestion that Love Field be closed to commercial traffic.
Ricks said Southwest won't try to persuade American to negotiate.
"American has to respond how ever they see fit," he said. "It's not up to us to get American to the table."
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/14075374.htm
