ST. LOUIS -- Southwest Airlines quietly made history Tuesday morning, flying its first airplane from Dallas Love Field to St. Louis.

The trip was the first commercial nonstop flight in Southwest's history from Love beyond the original boundaries of the Wright Amendment. The significance of the 8:10 a.m. departure wasn't lost on flight attendant Ted Eiel as he welcomed passengers on the airplane's intercom.

"Welcome to Southwest Flight 355 from Dallas to ..." he said, then paused dramatically, "... St. Louis."

After another pause, he added, "Woo-hoo!"

The nonstop flight from Love to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis came thanks to a bill passed by Congress last month. Championed by Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., it exempts Missouri from the Wright Amendment, a 1979 law that restricted commercial service from Love to Texas and adjacent states.

Southwest also began nonstop trips to Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday.

The flights mark the first major crack in the amendment since its passage. A previous bill had exempted Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi, but Southwest never launched service to those states, citing a lack of demand.

Flights from Dallas to Missouri, however, are likely to be popular. One analyst has estimated that it could bring the airline an additional $80 million in annual revenue. Airline officials have said advance bookings for the flights have been strong, particularly for the holiday season.

Despite the importance of the exemption to Southwest, the landmark first flight Tuesday was largely uneventful.