Colonel Savage
Southern style...
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2008
- Posts
- 1,271
I think we are all engaged in some sort of fantasy when we (understandably) wish for the return of a regulated airline industry. I just don't think it would recapture the glory days or golden years like we all are probably hoping.
But I do think that, after the extreme capacity cuts due to fuel prices and failures of the more poorly run carriers, Congress could then step in and legislate a "barriers to entry" industry model that would limit the industry to the known survivors of the meltdown, and not allow or severely limit any new entrants to the industry.
Airlines could then be awarded their core route systems and segmented from each other, similar to water and power utilities, in order to avoid fare wars.
If done correctly, pricing could be left to the airlines themselves, as supply would then controlled and demand would support higher ticket prices.
I think we all realize the industry would be much smaller, perhaps by as much as half, but by then airlines would relegated to the carriage of only high yield, high priority passengers and cargo in a world of $200+/bbl oil.
But I do think that, after the extreme capacity cuts due to fuel prices and failures of the more poorly run carriers, Congress could then step in and legislate a "barriers to entry" industry model that would limit the industry to the known survivors of the meltdown, and not allow or severely limit any new entrants to the industry.
Airlines could then be awarded their core route systems and segmented from each other, similar to water and power utilities, in order to avoid fare wars.
If done correctly, pricing could be left to the airlines themselves, as supply would then controlled and demand would support higher ticket prices.
I think we all realize the industry would be much smaller, perhaps by as much as half, but by then airlines would relegated to the carriage of only high yield, high priority passengers and cargo in a world of $200+/bbl oil.
