Interview: Airlines for America's Chief Economist

Interview: Airlines for America's Chief Economist

Back in the aughts, Airlines for America's Chief Economist John Heimlich often showed a slide with an alarming statistic: Coffee giant Starbucks' market capitalization was more than that of the entire U.S. airline industry combined. So much has changed in the last 10 years, as the airline industry recovered from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, SARS, and oil prices of $148 per barrel, among other trials and tribulations. Skift Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan and Heimlich had a chance to catch up at the Boyd Group's International Aviation Forecast Summit in August. Unnikrishnan reminded Heimlich of that slide and asked him if those turbulent times could return. Heimlich explained how the industry has changed: different management, improved aircraft technology, and consolidation being among the most important factors. But he warned that the airline industry is uniquely exposed to exogenous shocks, like geopolitical turmoil, weather, and the price of oil. The airline industry is continuing to evolve, with new aircraft technology, like the Airbus A321 XLR, making low-cost, long-haul a better business proposition, Heimlich said. But will anyone crack that low-cost, long-haul code? And what about small-community air service in the U.S. and Canada, now that airlines have retired or are in the process of retiring their smallest aircraft?

Episoder(424)

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 9: A New Frontier

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 9: A New Frontier

Posting a $54m profit in its second quarter, Frontier Airlines has joined the ranks of America’s most profitable airlines. Frontier and America’s other ultra-low-cost carrier, Spirit, are both highly ...

30 Sep 201526min

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 8: Africa's Biggest Airline?

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 8: Africa's Biggest Airline?

Ethiopian Airlines is growing aggressively—and apparently profitably—while other African carriers are struggling. The airline’s centralized location seems to give it a big advantage over other African...

23 Sep 201522min

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 7: Checkmate for United? Not Quite

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 7: Checkmate for United? Not Quite

Can United Airlines’ new CEO overcome the carrier’s inherent challenges? United is big, powerful and, at the moment, very profitable. But it’s also underperforming Delta and American. When United and ...

16 Sep 201526min

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 5: Cold Comfort in Canada

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 5: Cold Comfort in Canada

Canada may be a cold place, but right now its two major airlines are cruising along with comfortable profit margins. Still, what we’re seeing from WestJet and Air Canada is a far cry from what U.S. ca...

18 Aug 201520min

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 4: The Wild, Wild Eastern Market

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 4: The Wild, Wild Eastern Market

The creditors of bankrupt Skymark Airlines chose All Nippon Airways (ANA) as its equity partner going forward. This of course leaves Delta—again!—without a dance partner in Asia. With that news, we ta...

12 Aug 201523min

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 3: The European Earnings Picture Is Complicated

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 3: The European Earnings Picture Is Complicated

With most European airlines having now reported second-quarter earnings, the picture is filling in. But it’s a mosaic—not a portrait. Some carriers did well. Some did lousy. One thing we learned from ...

5 Aug 201524min

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 2: Postcards from the Hedge

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 2: Postcards from the Hedge

American Airlines doesn’t hedge its jet fuel, and now it’s enjoying the fruits of that somewhat contrarian strategy. Is AA onto something here? Is fuel hedging a smart play? Will other airlines mimic ...

29 Jul 201523min

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 1: Can It Get Any Better?

Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 1: Can It Get Any Better?

Our inaugural episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge went live today. Within it, Seth Kaplan and I discuss this golden age for U.S. aviation. Can profits get any better? Along those lines, Delta reporte...

22 Jul 201525min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
stopp-verden
popradet
det-store-bildet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-gukild-johaug
fotballpodden-2
nokon-ma-ga
hanna-de-heldige
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
frokostshowet-pa-p5
bt-dokumentar-2