ABSTRACT
The activities of privately owned, economically sustainable airlines include flying safely, operating legally, supporting innovation, pursuing competition, creating employment and paying dividends and taxes. Underpinning these objectives is stra - tegic sustainability-thinking (see Figure 7.2 in Chapter 7) supported by tactical activities. Complete sustainability should address the needs of the primary stakeholders (employees, customers and owners) while increasing shareholder value. The decisions taken would, like all economic decisions, require trade-offs. It is the judi cious use of resources including time, capital (of all types) and the assembled materials of the natural and manufactured worlds which give an airline its com petitive soft and hard edges.
