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Started by Imperator; Last updated Feb 27, 08 6:28 AM CST by D Lim | View history

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Airline Industry

Business in the friendly skies hasn't been high-flying of late

It's been a long, hard, half-decade for much of the airline industry. Since 9/11, it has been trying to recover from the decrease in passenger travel, only to be clobbered by high fuel prices in recent years—landing several of the American ‘majors’ in bankruptcy. Some of the upstarts continued to do well, including Southwest and JetBlue in the US and Ryanair and easyJet in Europe. Yet even the new lean airlines stumble from time to time, as JetBlue learned the hard way in February 2007, when an ice storm in New York snarled operations for almost a week.

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 242

<< Prev 1 2 3 4 5 ... 13 Next >>

July 2008
- Your Airport To-Not-Do List
  
  newser | US News and World Report | Jul 18, 08 5:25 PM CDT
  
  Air travel not stressful enough for you? US News and World Report presents four ways to land yourself in a planeload of trouble. Use words like “bomb” and “hijack”: A man in Boston jokingly told an airport clerk he was “here to blow things up,” and discovered state troopers and a K-9 unit just didn’t get his sense of humor. More »
- Airfare to Get More Expensive This Holiday Season
  
  newser | USA Today | Jul 18, 08 1:40 PM CDT
  
  Get ready—this holiday season is going to boast some of the most expensive airfares ever, USA Today reports. Because of high fuel costs, most airlines have cut back flight schedules; figure about 9% fewer flights in November compared to a year ago. Having constricted supply, expect the airlines to raise prices $50-$200 extra per seat. And don't bank on any late holiday sales. More »
- Boeing Says Dreamliner On Track, Despite Glitches
  
  newser | Seattle Times | Jul 15, 08 6:56 PM CDT
  
  The inaugural flight of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner jet remains on track for this fall, but mechanical glitches are making the production schedule tighter than the company would like, the Seattle Times reports. Delays, mis-drilled holes, and ill-trained workers have contributed to the thinning cushion Boeing allowed for itself to meet the fall deadline. The jet promises to save 20% on fuel while improving cargo space and passenger comfort. More »
- Airport Overnights Take Off as Hotel Vouchers Vanish
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 15, 08 3:05 AM CDT
  
  Stranded passengers are finding ways to settle in for the night at airport terminals as hotel vouchers become a thing of the past in the cash-strapped airline business, the New York Times reports. Frequent fliers advise terminal sleepers to bring something soft to sleep on and to stock up on food and drink before airport stores close—or spend their own cash on a hotel. More »
- Fighter Jet Dazzles Airshow
  
  newser | Reuters | Jul 14, 08 3:05 PM CDT
  
  Aviation experts were treated to a display of the world’s most advanced fighter jet at the kickoff of the Farnborough International Airshow today in England, Reuters reports. In its first international exhibition, the Lockheed Martin F-22 “Raptor” executed a dizzying array of flips, dips, and dives as it showed off the dual engines that allow it to achieve twice the speed of sound. More »
- US Airways Jettisons Movies
  
  newser | BusinessWeek | Jul 10, 08 3:18 AM CDT
  
  Rising oil prices may spell the end of the in-flight movie—at least on domestic flights. US Airways will become the first airline to rip out the in-flight entertainment systems from 200 jets plying domestic routes to save $10 million in fuel and other costs, reports BusinessWeek . The systems, which weigh about 500 pounds each, will be jettisoned beginning in November. Other airlines may do likewise. More »
- Pentagon to Re-Open $35B Air Force Tanker Bid
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jul 9, 08 12:16 PM CDT
  
  The Pentagon will re-open a $35 billion contract to build the Air Force's fleet of new refueling tankers and pick a new winner by the end of the year, congressional sources say. The Office of the Secretary of Defense—not the Air Force—will oversee the new competition between Boeing Co. and a team led by Northrop Grumman Corp. More »
- Could Stun Bracelets Replace Boarding Passes?
  
  newser | Washington Times | Jul 8, 08 1:44 PM CDT
  
  A bracelet that would track airline passengers and shock them if they get out of hand might be under consideration by the Department of Homeland Security, the Washington Times reports. The Electronic ID Bracelet could someday replace boarding passes. We "are interested in … the immobilizing security bracelet, and look forward to receiving a written proposal," an official wrote to its maker. More »
- Flight Grounded Over Irate Passengers
  
  newser | MyFox New York | Jul 8, 08 11:55 AM CDT
  
  The passengers of an American Airlines flight from Miami to New York on Sunday night probably thought the worst was over when their flight crew finally arrived at the gate an hour late. But angry passengers greeted them with boos and, according to some accounts, obscenities. The crew responded by refusing to board the plane, citing a "hostile work environment," Fox News reports. More »
- Fuel Costs Ground Extended Flights
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | Jul 8, 08 4:52 AM CDT
  
  Super-long flights were hailed as the future of aviation only a few years ago, but the soaring price of fuel has grounded those plans, reports the Wall Street Journal . Airlines are delaying or canceling intercontinental routes as the cost of keeping "flying tankers" in the air for over 12 hours stops making economic sense. More »
- How to Vacation on a Dime
  
  newser | Travel Leisure | Jul 6, 08 5:19 PM CDT
  
  With airline and entertainment prices rising, “free stuff isn’t just a bonus, it can be a vacation-saver,” writes Jeryl Brunner in Travel + Leisure , which offers 11 ways to beef up your trip on a budget. House-swapping: Cancel the hotel, and vacation in someone else’s home for free while they reside in yours. More »
- Italians Impatient With Alitalia Rescue Efforts
  
  newser | Bloomberg | Jul 4, 08 5:33 PM CDT
  
  Fed up with government efforts to resuscitate Alitalia, many Italians think Rome needs to face reality and let the airline die, Bloomberg reports. PM Silvio Berluconi characterizes Alitalia’s survival as “a matter of national security,” but it hasn't turned a profit in nearly a decade. The latest plan for Alitalia is a restructuring scheme by Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s second-largest bank. More »
- Continental Faces Manslaughter Charges
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | Jul 3, 08 12:17 PM CDT
  
  Continental Airlines will have to stand trial for manslaughter over its role in the explosive crash of an Air France jet, a French judge ruled today. Five individuals have also been charged in the 2000 accident, which saw a Concorde jet burst into flames while leaving a Paris runway, killing all 109 people aboard and four others on the ground. More »
- American to Cut 7K Jobs
  
  newser | Dallas Morning News | Jul 3, 08 10:56 AM CDT
  
  American Airlines plans to cut as many as 900 flight attendants from its ranks next month as part of nearly 7,000 expected layoffs this year, reports the Dallas Morning News. The job cuts, intended to counter rising fuel expenses, mirror an intended 8% reduction in the airline's worldwide flights. The cuts will leave American with fewer than 80,000 jobs, a low it hasn't hit since 1988. More »
June 2008
- US Airlines May Need Foreign Aid
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | Jun 30, 08 8:43 AM CDT
  
  Troubled US airlines could be looking to Congress to ease foreign ownership laws, as financial woes push them into the arms of new investment partners, the Wall Street Journal reports. Overseas companies, barred from holding more than 25% of the voting stock of US carriers, are eager to relax the rules. "It could be the financial exigencies of the day that finally make for a breakthrough," British Airways Chairman Martin Broughton tells the Journal. More »
- Air Travelers Will See 10% Flight Cuts by Fall
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 28, 08 6:20 AM CDT
  
  Travelers will start to feel the full force of airline moves to grapple with rising fuel costs by Labor Day, as 10% of flights will be cut, a dip that will downsize the industry to post-9/11 levels, the New York Times reports. The reductions could push fares up by 40% over the next 4 years, on top of 17% hikes in the cost of tickets already this year. Some 100 smaller cities will also lose service. More »
- EU Will Make Airlines Pay to Pollute
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 27, 08 5:57 AM CDT
  
  The European Union struck a landmark deal yesterday to regulate carbon emissions from airplanes, requiring carriers to buy pollution credits for all flights entering or leaving airports in the EU. The agreement, which should go into effect in 2012, marks the first time that airlines will have to pay to pollute in the European emissions market the same way that other industrial polluters do, reports the New York Times . More »
- 'Dress Rehearsal' Tomorrow for American's Wi-Fi
  
  newser | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Jun 24, 08 4:12 PM CDT
  
  American Airlines will offer a trial of its in-flight wireless Internet service tomorrow, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. "Gogo" will be installed on 15 of American’s 767s, and available on flights departing New York’s JFK for Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. Free tomorrow, the service will eventually cost $12.95 on flights longer than 3 hours, and $9.95 on shorter flights. More »
- United, Continental Partner, But Won't Merge
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | Jun 20, 08 5:45 AM CDT
  
  United and Continental Airlines have forged a marketing alliance that will let them book each other’s seats, share miles and join international flights—but won't merge, reports the Wall Street Journal . The deal provides welcome cost savings in the face of surging fuel prices, but avoids the labor tensions and service disruptions that come with a full-blown merger. More »
- Fuel Costs Bump Up Budget Airfares
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 20, 08 3:43 AM CDT
  
  Rock-bottom airfares are going the way of the zeppelin as fuel prices continue their climb into the stratosphere, the New York Times reports. Some budget carriers have gone bust. Others have hiked fares and begun to woo more business travelers, blurring the line between big carriers and discount operations. Southwest and JetBlue have ditched their caps on fares, with JetBlue doubling its one-way cross-country fare to as much as $599. More »

Stories 1 - 20 of 242

<< Prev 1 2 3 4 5 ... 13 Next >>

Virgin Atlantic Airways Unveiling of Upper Class Suite (Getty Images)

A U.S. Airways jet takes off from Sky Harbor International Airport Thursday, April 26, 2007 in Phoenix. US Airways Group Inc. on Thursday said profit edged up 2 percent in the first quarter on modest... (Associated Press)

Ryanair Jet at London's Prestwick Airport (Getty Images)

(FILE PHOTO) Jet Blue Profits Rise (Getty Images)

A Delta Airlines aircraft at Dulles International Airport (Getty Images)

FILE PHOTO: Sir Freddie Laker dies (Getty Images)

Sweet ((c) dyobmit)

Dave Howard, a pilot for American Airlines, does a visual inspection of a plane at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. (KRT Photos)

Jet Airplane (Archive Photos)

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Background

airline industry
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

airline industry the business of transporting paying passengers and freight by air along regularly scheduled routes, typically by airplanes but also by helicopter. Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin set up the first commercial airline in 1912, using a form of the dirigible to transport more than ...

» Read more about airline industry at Encyclopedia.com

Chasing the Sun: the history of commercial aviation
PBS

"Chasing the Sun" is based on the book "Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation" by T. A. Heppenheimer.

» Read more about Chasing the Sun: the history of commercial aviation at PBS

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