I wrote two articles last week about
the evolution of airline regulation in the US. Following on
from that is this article that explains
the problems that evolved over the 40 years of airline regulation from
1936 forwards. In particular, I cite seven main reasons why
airline regulation was abjectly failing, with the result being a
bipartisan consensus and the deregulating of the airlines in 1978.
There are a lot of incorrect claims being
made about 'the good old days' of regulated airlines, and how we were
somehow tricked into accepting deregulation. This article debunks
some of these claims. More debunking will follow in future
articles on this topic.
With an increasing interest in the concept
of re-regulating the airlines, my article listing of
the total failure of airline regulation should be mandatory reading
for all who now advocate a return to what were truly the bad old days.