See how Southwest and Virgin America did at Love Field with Wright Amendment gone

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Stephen M. Keller

Southwest Airlines carried more than 800,000 passengers in and out of Dallas Love Field in October.

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Nicholas Sakelaris

Staff Writer- Dallas Business Journal

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With the Wright Amendment in the dust, Southwest Airlines carried more than 800,000 passengers in and out of Dallas Love Field in October.

That's an 8.8 percent increase, or 64,000 passengers, more than the same period in 2013, according to flight traffic data at Love Field.

Flight restrictions at the airport were lifted Oct. 13, meaning Southwest could fly nonstop around the country for the first time out of Love Field. The airline added 15 new nonstops in October and November that generated plenty of excitement among travelers.

But Dallas-based Southwest (NYSE: LUV) faces new competition from Virgin America, which carried more than 30,000 passengers. The San Francisco-based airline started serving Love Field the day the Wright Amendment expired using two gates it acquired from American Airlines (Nasdaq: AAL).

Overall, Southwest's market share at Love decreased nearly 4 percent, mostly due to Virgin America (Nasdaq: VA) moving into the airport.

Virgin America no longer serves Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Here's a closer look at the October numbers:

Southwest Airlines

• Enplaned: 401,871
• Deplaned: 399,574
• October, 2014 Total: 801,445
• October, 2013 Total: 736,962
• Increase: 8.75 percent
• Market share: 92.78

Virgin America

• Enplaned: 15,554
• Deplaned: 15,397
• October, 2014 total: 30,951*
• October, 2013 total: 0
• Market share: 3.58 percent
• (*Virgin America started service at Love Field Oct. 13)

Nicholas covers the energy, manufacturing, aviation and transportation beats for the Dallas Business Journal. Subscribe the Energy Inc. newsletter