With Independence Air out of the picture and JetBlue Airways' armor revealing a few chinks, Southwest Airlines has decided to increase its presence in the Washington area by requesting two gates at Washington Dulles for unidentified service scheduled to begin this fall.Southwest has been a fixture at nearby Baltimore/Washington International, from which it operates 165 daily flights, for more than a decade. "The sheer size and scope of the Washington, DC, metro area makes [Dulles] an exceptional market opportunity," CEO Gary Kelly said. "The population and business growth in Northern Virginia means a great opportunity is rapidly getting even better."

Southwest said it will announce its Dulles route and fare structure this summer. IAD served 27 million passengers on 31 airlines in 2005 and is midway through a $4 billion expansion program including construction of a new runway, expanded gates and an underground automated train system that will transport passengers from the main terminal to airfield concourses.