ABSTRACT
It is remarkable to think about what the global commercial airline industry has achieved since the early "modern" aircraft of the 1930s that began to offer reliability of operations and cabin comfort, even if the price was prohibitive for most people. As one industry executive said, alliances among international carriers are an artificial solution to an artificial problem. If governments were to remove restrictions around ownership and control, there would be less desire to have alliances. That is one possibility. If this scenario takes place it would most certainly change the market structure and conduct of the global airline industry. The conventional wisdom is that low-cost, low-fare airlines will not be able to duplicate their business model across the North Atlantic. Currently, passengers are processed at airports either by the staff of individual airlines or by their strategic partners. At a number of airports where airlines have limited activity such business practices do not appear to be cost-effective.
