Is “growth” really returning to the airline industry? Based on almost daily press releases, airlines
appear to be adding new destinations every week
Analysis by AirlineFinancials.com shows most airlines are not adding any significant growth but simply
moving the chairs around the deck opposed to adding new ones. In other words, most airlines are
– transferring – aircraft and resources from one route to another opposed to – adding – capacity.
Airline industry for this report includes the nine largest US airlines: Delta (NYSE: DAL), American (NYSE: AMR),
United (NASDAQ: UAUA), Continental (NYSE: CAL), US Airways (NYSE: LCC), Southwest (NYSE: LUV), JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU), Alaska (NYSE:ALK), and Air Tran (NYSE: AAI). Except where noted, data represents mainline operations.
About the author- Robert Herbst is an independent airline industry consultant. He is the founder of AirlineFinancials.com
which provides airline industry analysis and commentary for major US carriers. In addition to his consulting work,
Mr. Herbst was a commercial pilot from 1969 until January 2010. His aviation experience and financial background
provide a unique analytical perspective into the airline industry.
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