Update: Delta’s out at Love Field because Southwest will use 1 United gate, and United will add Houston flights

Update at 11:57 a.m. September 30: Delta Air Lines is being forced out of Dallas Love Field because Southwest Airlines is going to use one of United Airlines’ two gates at the airport, and because United has told the city it will increase its service in January. That’s according to a memo Ryan Evans, the city’s first assistant city manager, sent to Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas City Council Tuesday morning — one day after the city’s aviation director gave Delta two weeks’ notice at the city-owned airport.

Southwest Airlines controls 16 of Love Field’s 20 gates. For now, at least, United has two gates, and American has two. For years, American has been subleasing its gates to Delta. But that deal ends Oct. 13, when those gates become property of Virgin America Airlines under the Department of Justice’s terms to allow American’s merger with US Airways.

Delta — and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings — had been hopeful that Delta could still find a way to fly out of Love, especially given United offers only a handful of daily runs to Houston.

But, Evans said in his memo, “Delta Airlines has been unsuccessful in securing a sublease from any of the airlines currently leasing gates at Love Field. Per the Airport Use and Lease Agreement, Delta requested assistance from the City in securing a gate to operate flights after October 13th. Based on the increased number of flights, as well as the longer flights which may be affected to a greater extent by delays, United and Southwest ha[ve] entered into a Gate Use agreement which allows Southwest to operate from one of United’s gates. United Airlines has also notified the City that it intend[s] to increase service to 12 flights daily on January 7, 2015.”

United’s schedule shows 10 nonstops between Houston Intercontinental and Love Field beginning in early January. The current schedule through late December shows six or fewer flights per day.

“United has done a historically poor job of utilizing its gates,” council member Philip Kingston said. “United has provided the city with assurances the city has accepted that it will fully utilize the gates. We need to make sure we’re holding United to its assurances.”

Mark Duebner, Dallas’ director of aviation, says United will continue to fly only to Houston to connect with its hub, but “Things are ever-evolving.” He also says the Southwest-United gate-use agreement does not “contemplate anything beyond Jan. 6.” Which means …?

“I don’t now if United and Southwest will continue to have Southwest utilize some portion of United’s gate past that January date,” he says. Southwest, of course, wanted the American gate that Virgin will occupy beginning on Oct. 13.

According to Evans’ memo, the city tried to find Delta a spot at Love Field, but in the end, there was no room at the inn. However, he insists in his memo, “We look forward to working with Delta in the future and will continuously monitor the activity at Dallas Love Field in order to provide the best quality of service.”

Rawlings told the City Manager’s Office and city staff in May he wanted them to find room for Delta. For now, at least, that is not going to happen.

“We’re limited to 20 gates, and that was always because we wanted to make sure the impact of the airport on the surrounding community would stay neutral,” says Duebner. “Having more competition is a good thing. I would have hoped Delta could have reached an agreement with one of the airlines to continue to operate, but in the end they were unable to do so.”

Kingston voiced his displeasure with Delta’s forced departure from Love Field.

“I don’t know why we can’t demand better,” he said. “I don’t understand how this proposal satisfied the five-party agreement that all gates be fully utilized.”