Dallas Approves Southwest Lease at Love Field
The city council approved a lease giving Southwest Airlines most of Love Field's gates through 2040.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Air Travel
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The Dallas City Council approved a lease covering 18 of Love Field's 20 gates for Southwest Airlines. The lease runs from October 1, 2028, through September 30, 2040.
Why it matters
Love Field's gate count is capped by federal law, so the allocation of those gates shapes which carriers can expand at the airport. The lease also sets terms for pursuing additional gates if federal limits change.
Federal law limits Love Field to 20 gates, and the Southwest lease covers 18 of them through September 30, 2040. Under the 2006 five-party agreement, the city may pursue additional gates without major-airline review if each costs no more than $50 million in 2025 dollars.
The players
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is a major U.S. low-cost carrier that operates a large share of flights at Dallas Love Field.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines is one of the largest U.S. airlines and currently controls one gate at Love Field.
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major U.S. carrier and was a party to the 2006 five-party agreement governing Love Field gates.
The details
The lease sets Southwest's option on three of four new gates, five of eight, or eight of twelve if federal law changes. Love Field is also part of a $2.5 billion redevelopment, which does not include gate additions.
Timeline
2006: Five-party agreement reduced Love Field from 32 gates to 20.
October 1, 2028: Southwest lease term begins.
September 30, 2040: Southwest lease term ends.
Industry Context
The lease operates within the gate-cap framework set by the 2006 five-party agreement among Dallas, Fort Worth, DFW Airport, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, which reduced Love Field from 32 gates to 20. Any expansion beyond that limit depends on federal law changing and on the cost-review terms of that agreement.
Travelers flying from Love Field should expect Southwest to hold most of the airport's gates from October 2028 through September 2040. Any new carriers or routes depend on whether federal law changes to allow additional gates.
The takeaway
Love Field's gate allocation is largely settled through 2040, so future service changes at the airport will hinge on federal action rather than local negotiation alone.
Further reading
For more on airline gate and terminal developments, see Air Travel.
Source note: This article includes information reported by InsideFlyer.
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