The Effects of the Economy on the Airline Industry

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The Effects of the Economy on the Airline Industry Steven Phillips Axia College ECO205 Economic Theory Ali Boloorian September 7, 2008   The Effects of the Economy on the Airline Industry The Airline Industry is affected by many variables of the economy. Price elasticity, externalities, wage inequality, and fiscal and monetary policies affect the health of the airline industry. Each variable has an impact that affect the consumer, and determines if the consumer will use the service. Price Elasticity Price elasticity of supply and demand is a measure is the sensitivity if quantity demanded compared to the change of the price of the product or service. The airline industry is affected by price elasticity. Currently the airline industry is facing high fuel costs that must be passed to the consumers in order to continue to make profits. Many airlines are facing reduced profits from people deciding not to pay higher ticket prices and using other methods of travel. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines both reported big second-quarter losses (Webber, 2008). The higher price of fuel has caused an increase in the price of tickets resulting in a softening of the demand for air travel. According to Ed Bastian, who is quoted by Webber, “Clearly, with fuel prices at these record levels, there’s no question…airfares need to go up” (2008). Bastian also said he thinks that the higher prices may start affecting demand (Weber, 2008). Air travel has dropped over the last year. According to the Department of Transportation statistics, the number of domestic passengers carried by U.S. airlines has decreased 3.3 percent in April from a year earlier (Weber, 2008). In order to stay as profitable as possible many airlines are making cuts to save money. Airlines are cutting jobs and making fewer flights to keep down costs. According to the Associated Press, United
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