Some officials and business leaders in Tyler are angry over the suggestion by an American Airlines executive that the city lost some air service because it didn't support the carrier's position on the Wright amendment.
"It was a disappointment that your elected, appointed and business leadership in Tyler, chose not to recognize the importance of objecting to changes to the Wright amendment," according to the e-mail, dated Jan. 17, from Dale Morris, managing director for government affairs at regional affiliate American Eagle.
"I firmly believe their inaction has contributed to the loosening of the Wright amendment restrictions and ultimately lead to the service reductions in Tyler," he wrote in the message, first reported this week in the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Tyler leaders said that e-mail contradicted what they were told earlier by the airline, which is cutting service from their city to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when it starts service at Dallas Love Field on March 2. The airline, which now has seven daily flights from Tyler to D/FW, will have four.
Last year, American executives visited Texas midsized cities, telling airport directors and leaders that if the Wright law were to change, regional jet and turboprop service to some destinations would get cut as the airline diverted planes to launch new service from Love Field.
The Fort Worth-based carrier opposes any changes to the Wright restrictions at Love. But it is restarting operations there, in response to a November revision in the law that added Missouri to the list of states that can be served from Love.
American officials said the airline never threatened to pull service from the cities, if they didn't take the carrier's position on Wright.
"We told these communities that if we had to compete out of Love, that those planes would have to come from somewhere," said American Eagle spokesman Dave Jackson.
Dallas Morning News
"It was a disappointment that your elected, appointed and business leadership in Tyler, chose not to recognize the importance of objecting to changes to the Wright amendment," according to the e-mail, dated Jan. 17, from Dale Morris, managing director for government affairs at regional affiliate American Eagle.
"I firmly believe their inaction has contributed to the loosening of the Wright amendment restrictions and ultimately lead to the service reductions in Tyler," he wrote in the message, first reported this week in the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Tyler leaders said that e-mail contradicted what they were told earlier by the airline, which is cutting service from their city to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when it starts service at Dallas Love Field on March 2. The airline, which now has seven daily flights from Tyler to D/FW, will have four.
Last year, American executives visited Texas midsized cities, telling airport directors and leaders that if the Wright law were to change, regional jet and turboprop service to some destinations would get cut as the airline diverted planes to launch new service from Love Field.
The Fort Worth-based carrier opposes any changes to the Wright restrictions at Love. But it is restarting operations there, in response to a November revision in the law that added Missouri to the list of states that can be served from Love.
American officials said the airline never threatened to pull service from the cities, if they didn't take the carrier's position on Wright.
"We told these communities that if we had to compete out of Love, that those planes would have to come from somewhere," said American Eagle spokesman Dave Jackson.
Dallas Morning News
