Dallas Love Field (DAL), commissioned on October 19, 1917, began as a training base for the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I. Named for Army Lieutenant Moss Lee Love, who perished during flight training and had no connection to Dallas, the airport maintained the tradition of honoring Army aviators who perished while on duty.

After World War I, Love Field continued as a military air base until the City of Dallas purchased it in 1927, clearing the way for civilian use. After completing the first paved runways in 1932, commercial air service grew throughout the 1930s.

The airport played an extensive role for the military once again during the World War II years of the early 1940s and then saw expansive growth as a passenger airport during the post-war boom. By 1965, the airport had new terminals and its second parallel runway.

In 1964, the FAA mandated the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth to agree to build a major airport to serve the entire DFW Metroplex. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport’s opening in 1974 came on the heels of Love Field’s busiest year in 1973 and intended to effectively end passenger service at Love Field.

The airport saw its slowest year during 1974 and even opened an ice rink and video arcade as the Love Entertainment Complex to maintain revenue. Love Field appeared on its way to closure, but the founding of Southwest Airlines in 1971 continued to breathe life into Love Field as the fledgling airline refused to move its operations to DFW Airport.

After a lengthy legal battle among multiple parties, the resulting Wright Amendment restricted passenger aircraft operations at Dallas Love Field to locations within Texas and the neighboring states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

The stifling regulations of the Wright Amendment remained law until efforts to repeal saw some success in 2005. Certain restrictions were lifted, and the entire Wright Amendment was allowed to expire on October 13, 2014.

Love Field immediately saw drastic passenger growth and today it is the 32nd-busiest airport in the United States and the busiest medium-hub airport despite its federally mandated cap of 20 gates and barring of international travel. Before the COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected air travel in 2020, Love Field saw its highest enplanements in 2019 at 8.4 million. Since then, passenger volumes have rebounded, allowing the airport to experience a new record with 17.59 million passengers traveling in and out of Dallas Love Field airport during the 2023 calendar year, a 10 percent increase compared to 2022.