1. 1 A Brief History of U. S. Commercial Aviation Regulation and Deregulation The U. S. commercial aviation industry was regulated by the government for a period of 40 years, beginning in 1938 with. the passing of the Federal Aviation Act, and ending in October 1978 when President Carter signed into law the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA). There were 16 airlines in existence when the Federal Aviation Act was passed in 1938 (the so-called 'trunk lines'). The Act established the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) as the industry's regulatory body. The Act was passed principally because it was felt that the free market, if allowed to continue unregulated for much longer, would put many of these firms into bankruptcy. It is possible therefore to view the CAA of 1938 (re-organized into the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in 1940) as a response to a potential market failure at the time. In the 1930s, few air traffic markets could have efficiently"supported more than one airline operating in the market [Panzar (1980)]. Competition among the carriers was cut-throat, and it was felt that the near bankruptcy of the airlines in the period was caused principally by the competitive bidding system used by the Post Office in allotting airmail subsidies [Keeler (1972), Caves (1962)].

In 1938 the U.S. Government took under its wing an infant airline industry. Government agencies assumed responsibility not only for airline safety but for setting fares and determining how individual markets would be served. Forty years later, the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 set in motion the economic deregulation of the industry and opened it to market competition. This study by Steven Morrison and Clifford Winston analyzes the effects of deregulation on both travelers and the airline industry. The authors find that lower fares and better service have netted travelers some $6 billion in annual benefits, while airline earnings have increased by $2.5 billion a year. Morrison and Winston expect still greater benefits once the industry has had time to adjust its capital structure to the unregulated marketplace, and they recommend specific public polices to ensure healthy competition.

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Politics - Environmental Policy, grade: Distinction, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, course: Aviation Regulation, Environment and Operation , language: English, abstract: Starting in the USA where deregulation of air transportation began in the late seventies, this trend was observable throughout Europe in the eighties and Australia at the beginning of the nineties. The major arguments for liberalisation were in general a reduction of capacity constraints and a simplified market access (Himpel & Lipp 2006, p.26). Constitutional for these ideas is the theory of contestable markets which assumes the efficiency of competition with a free market entry and market exit. Therefore deregulation processes aim at providing a better, safer and more efficient industry. However, Geoffrey Thomas (2008) among others points out that in reality the liberalisation of air transportation has caused predominantly negative outcomes which is why there should be a return to some degree of regulation. Based on Thomas’ train of thoughts, this research paper is aimed at critically evaluating the effects of liberalisation both on the aviation industry and on the consumer. The paper is therefore structured as follows: after revealing the limitations of the evaluation, positive effects of liberalisation in Europe, the United States and Australia are outlined which are then opposed to negative effects. Based on these findings, a conclusion is finally drawn.

In the fast-changing theatre of air transportation, the strategic development of airlines and the operating economics of scheduled airline services have been transformed, following the profound impact of US deregulation. The lessons gleaned from the US experience, including effective ways of constraining rivals, have quickly been adopted by carriers facing the opening up to competition of their own local markets. In addition, in response to the hunt by the successful US survivors for further international traffic, carriers have been forced to emulate certain tactics adopted by these megacarriers, virtually irrespective of their own government’s regulatory stance. The economics of the sector, particularly with regard to revenue generation, has resulted in increased market concentration. In the longer term, prospects for competition remain unclear, given the likely existence of only a small number of similarly endowed, globally alligned megacarriers. This book explores the impact of deregulation policies on key areas of the airline industry, analyzes the response of incumbent carriers to economic freedom and examines whether or not it is possible to devise a pro-competitive regulatory strategy for this sector. The author provides the reader with a clear explanation as to: ¢ why airline deregulation policies have produced a number of unanticipated outcomes; ¢ why low-cost new entrants have been unable to survive under deregulation; ¢ why the impact of airline deregulation has differed between the USA and Western Europe. Using this analysis as a basis, he explores the future development of the sector, indicating the likely future trends towards globalization. He also argues that a competitive marketplace is not a guaranteed outcome of full deregulation and suggests an alternative approach. The book is of special interest to those members engaged in the airline industry, regulatory authorities and government departments of transport and industry. It wil

The purpose of this dissertation is to assess whether the consumers are receiving a greater range and more frequent airline services since the U.S. airline industry was deregulated. Are the consumers better off since deregulation? Are the airlines providing more and better services? The questions mentioned above are examined and answered in this dissertation and based on the literature available and on numerous reports and published papers, many conclusions are drawn. These conclusions can help the readers in both comprehending the complicated issue of airline deregulation and assessing whether consumers are better off since deregulation. Initially an analysis of the airline deregulation is carried out based on the literature available. Information is provided regarding when did it happen and why did it happen. Moreover a comparison of the pre and post-deregulation era is conducted. Information is also provided about the airline deregulation effects on the U.S. airline industry s structure and competition. Strategic alliances which constitute a consequence of the airline deregulation effects are also examined. After the description of both the effects of airline deregulation and strategic alliances is carried out, an analysis of them is initiated. The analysis is aiming at proving whether airline deregulation has increased the range and frequency of airline services. For this analysis, the information presented before is used and it is analysed via the use of certain management models. Through a thorough research and study on the above issues, It has become apparent to me that the opinions about the range and frequency of services offered to the customers before and after deregulation are contradictory. The conclusions that I have made are based on my own perception on those issues and are a result of an objective analysis of contradicting theories and opinions. The airline deregulation issue is very opportune in the U.S. because the airline industry is currently undergoing through a very crucial stage. Many are those who praise the airline deregulation decision, taken in the late 1970s but many are those who recollect the days of the pre-deregulation period. My own ideas are expressed through out this thesis in a way that they allow the reader to form his/her own opinion on the issue.

Since the enactment of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, questions that had been at the heart of the ongoing debate about the industry for eighty years gained a new intensity: Is there enough competition among airlines to ensure that passengers do not pay excessive fares? Can an unregulated airline industry be profitable? Is air travel safe? While economic regulation provided a certain stability for both passengers and the industry, deregulation changed everything. A new fare structure emerged; travelers faced a variety of fares and travel restrictions; and the offerings changed frequently. In the last fifteen years, the airline industry's earnings have fluctuated wildly. New carriers entered the industry, but several declared bankruptcy, and Eastern, Pan Am, and Midway were liquidated. As financial pressures mounted, fears have arisen that air safety is being compromised by carriers who cut costs by skimping on maintenance and hiring inexperienced pilots. Deregulation itself became an issue with many critics calling for a return to some form of regulation. In this book, Steven A. Morrison and Clifford Winston assert that all too often public discussion of the issues of airline competition, profitability, and safety take place without a firm understanding of the facts. The policy recommendations that emerge frequently ignore the long-run evolution of the industry and its capacity to solve its own problems. This book provides a comprehensive profile of the industry as it has evolved, both before and since deregulation. The authors identify the problems the industry faces, assess their severity and their underlying causes, and indicate whether government policy can play an effective role in improving performance. They also develop a basis for understanding the industry's evolution and how the industry will eventually adapt to the unregulated economic environment. Morrison and Winston maintain that although the airline industry has not rea