Will US airlines’ hopeful stance for Trump policies fade with tariff turmoil?

After the election of the US president, Donald Trump, in Nov-2024, some of the country's airlines breathed a sigh of relief, betting that a change in administration would reverse policies aviation leaders had deemed onerous.

Nearly four months into Mr Trump's presidency, US airlines arguably find themselves stuck in a mental tug of war - they still remain optimistic that Mr Trump will initiate positive changes for the industry, but are also reeling from a whiplash of trade policies that are upending their financial forecasts.

The rapid changes beg one overarching question: are the benefits from favourable policy meaningful if profitability is wiped out?