Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field) has been granted a temporary dispensation by the US Department of Transportation to operate Washington National to Kansas City International flights starting February 1. In its ruling, the DoT agreed with the LCC's petition which sought to avoid any interruption of service to the route once Frontier Airlines (F9, Denver International) suspends its daily flights on January 31. The route's allocation fell open when Frontier's new owners, Indigo Partners, decided to discontinue the carrier's Kansas City - Washington National route exemption, acquired by previous Frontier owners, Republic Airlines (Indianapolis International). "On January 24, 2014, Republic informed the Department by letter that, due to the sale of Frontier, Frontier will discontinue its service between Washington National and Kansas City International effective February 1, 2014. Republic further stated in its letter that Republic does not object to a grant of pendente lite authority to another carrier, pending, and without prejudice to, the Department’s decision on longer term authority," read the DoT's ruling. Southwest is permitted to operate the route temporarily while the DoT begins formal proceedings to reallocate the routes on a permanent basis.