D/FW’s No. 2 Official Going to American
By David Wethe, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Mar. 29–Kevin Cox, the No. 2 executive at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and the chief architect behind its Wright Amendment strategy, is leaving to take a job with American Airlines, the airport’s largest tenant.
American announced Wednesday that Cox will become its vice president of state and community affairs. After working 16 years for the world’s third-busiest airport, Cox said, it was time to get out of the public spotlight.
“After completing the Wright Amendment negotiations, I just started thinking about making a transition back into the private sector and, fortuitously, this position came open,” Cox said Wednesday morning from his office while weeding through hundreds of e-mails from friends and co-workers about the move.
His last day at the airport will be April 6. He will start with American the next week.
Cox, 44, is leaving a $275,000-a-year job as D/FW’s senior executive vice president and chief operating officer. He will replace John Carpenter, 51, who retired in February after 17 years with Fort Worth-based American.
Jeff Fegan, the airport’s chief executive, said he’s not planning to fill Cox’s position. Instead, he plans to have the five executive vice presidents report directly to him.
Airport officials have been whispering about Cox’s potential departure since mid-February.
Some noted that he seemed less involved in monthly board meetings, where he has long been one of the first staffers to stand up and answer board members’ questions.
Some thought that Cox might be a candidate for the top job at Los Angeles Airport. Cox declined to discuss specifics but said he looked at a variety of positions before taking the job with American.
“I really wanted to stay in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” said Cox, who lives with his wife and three children in Southlake. “My family loves it here.”
Michael Boyd, a Colorado-based aviation consultant, called the move “a home run” for American.
“What it brings is a wide range of airport expertise to American,” Boyd said. “It gives them an advantage throughout the world.”
Working in governmental affairs is nothing new for Cox. He oversaw the airport’s government and public-affairs department, along with the marketing group, at one time.
Before working for the airport, Cox served as its attorney for the Dallas firm Strasburger & Price. He has an accounting degree from Oklahoma State University and a law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Cox is perhaps best-known for his role in crafting an agreement to end the decades of debate over the Wright Amendment, a 1979 federal law that restricts nonstop flights from Dallas Love Field to cities in eight nearby states.
It was a bitter debate that pitted American and D/FW Airport, which both pushed for keeping the amendment, against Dallas-based Southwest Airlines.
At a 2005 Senate subcommittee hearing, Cox went toe-to-toe with Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s founder and chairman.
But Dallas and Fort Worth, the two airlines and the airport eventually hashed out a historic compromise, which was signed in June. Shortly after, the two cities’ mayors praised Cox for his diligence and legal brilliance.
“He was a valuable part of the Wright Amendment debate,” Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief said Wednesday. “At the same time, no one is irreplaceable in any position.”
Jan Collmer, chairman of the airport board, said that Cox will be missed but that “D/FW will survive.”
Top airport officials said they didn’t see any conflict in Cox leaving D/FW to work for its largest tenant.
Cox, who will move to American’s headquarters just south of the airport, said he’s glad to have made strong friendships at D/FW.
“Part of my responsibility is continuing that good relationship between American Airlines and D/FW Airport,” he said. “I hope to capitalize on that relationship.”
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David Wethe, 817-685-3803 dwethe@star-telegram.com
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Copyright (c) 2007, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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