Somebody Do Something

Mayor Berry and Governor Martinez.  There is a new giant economic time bomb ticking for the Duke City and it will go off in one year.  Next October a federal law known as the Wright amendment will sunset.  This is the law that required Southwest Airlines to land their aircraft in bordering states before continuing on to any other destination.  This amendment was a deal worked out decades ago to make sure that the new Dallas-Fort Worth Airport would be able to pay off their bonds by trying to force airlines to use its facilities.  The amendment said any airline that flew out of the old Dallas Love field had to land in a neighboring state.  Southwest stayed at Love Field.  So Albuquerque became a major stop for all Southwest flights.  Ever wonder why there were so many flights from here to Las Vegas?  Because all flights out of Dallas Love had to stop here first.

When this amendment expires Albuquerque and New Mexico's  airline service will take a huge hit.  Southwest will start overflying the Land of Enchantment and we will have a lot less options.  Frontier Airlines will also be gone by then.  And this means less jobs in New Mexico, both for the airlines and other jobs that locate here because of poor airline service.

Is anyone paying attention to this at city hall or the state capitol?  Are any delegations visiting the airlines trying to get increased service or making offers to help them do so?  Is the Governor to busy fund raising with the far right wing funders to do so?  Is Mayor Berry's economic development team and the local business leaders asleep?

Time to get off your butts!  Right Now!  Not next September!