No, I’m not talking about US Airways’ CEO Doug Parker’s DUI encounter with the Scottsdale police.

I’m talking about the announcement that Southwest Airlines is going to start flying to San Francisco again. The last time the airline flew into SFO was in March of 2001. At the time of its departure, the airline cited the airport’s high costs. In an article in today’s San Francisco Chronicle, SFO airport director John Martin said that he has been wooing Southwest for the last year and a half. Martin also claims that SFO’s landing fees and other airport charges have been slashed 30% over the past five years.

Southwest announced it will begin service at SFO this fall with at least 14 daily departures and a mix of short, medium and long flights. No other details were given.

Talk about a move that hits squarely in the jaw of not one, but two competitors, this would be it. Or maybe I should say one competitor and one would-be competitor.

To Virgin America, the move sends a clear message. “You want to play in the big leagues? Get ready.”

And to JetBlue, which just recently announced new service into SFO beginning in May (in what was the first shot across the bow to Virgin’s still grounded operation), the message would be something like, “The more, the merrier.”

I do so love a good street fight. Don’t you?

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