US airline strategy: It may just be time for a rethink

WEEKLY REFLECTIONS WITH RON KUHLMANN & THE CENTRE. On October 19, the Air Transport Association's Office of Economics released a report entitled "Industry Review and Outlook". It was a sobering reminder of two facts. First, a viable aviation industry is a vital component of national and global economic health. Like the railroads in their heyday, airlines provide the means by which the now-global village is interconnected. Second, the ability of the industry, and particularly US carriers, to even recoup the cost of capital-much less make a profit-remains in peril.