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Southwest Is One Year Away From Nonstop Cross-Country Flights Out Of Love Field

Let the (one-year) countdown begin.

On Monday, Southwest Airlines set up a clock at Love Field that counts down to the start of nonstop cross-country flights out of the Dallas airport. Oct. 13, 2014, will mark the end of the Wright Amendment, which restricts the Dallas-based airline from flying nonstop to most of the country.

At the moment, Southwest is able to fly nonstop to nine states from Love Field.

The airline plans a year of celebrations and promotions, The Dallas Morning News reports. A Southwest executive declined last week to specify where Southwest would fly nonstop from Love Field. The News reported that other executives have suggested that the likely destinations will be the cities that are largest in the Southwest system, such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago, Orlando, Fla., and Baltimore.

Industry analysts told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that they don’t expect the end of Wright Amendment restrictions to dramatically affect air travel in North Texas, aside from new competition on selected routes.

Meanwhile, Love Field has undergone about $520 million in extensive renovations, including a new ticketing hall with large windows, an expanded security checkpoint, new concessions and public art incorporated throughout the airport.

Southwest posted this video of the clock:

Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.