Consolidation

[EconomyClass]

With the prospect of cancelled flights far off into the future, the sinking Euro, the chance of tipping back into global recession, I'm wondering if the world can really sustain the airlines it has.

What would be the best way for the business to digest all of these market factors. Should the governments be so worried anymore about "keeping it competitive"? Does there come a time when the level of competition makes no sense? Somehow consumer protection has made government action pretty single-focused. But I'm thinking its time for government to start taking into account a whole lot of factors that have been back-burner issues for many years. How airline business affects the greater economy. How lowballing discourages competing technologies from experiencing normal development. Then of course, there's safety. Maybe not on the "back burner", but certainly run with an optimistic view that competition won't shortchange it.

I just think a 360 degree perspective needs to determine what the public sector does. Definitely air transport is long past the infant industry stage. I don't think "encouraging aviation" has any place in public sector decisions anymore.

I

[C504]

I don't have a clue where you are going with this!

If the world can't sustain the current number of airlines then one by one the airlines will go broke until the point at which there is no longer a surplus of carriers and the cost of a ticket will rise to the point at which the surviving airlines can be profitable.

No need to think about it, it will just happen.