Shareholder
Jul 18, 03, 8:20 am
The American government has been very generous in providing subsidies to its airlines. There were billions given after the 9.11 shutdown of the aviation system, many times more compensation than governments anywhere else in the world have given their carriers.
And now Reuters is reporting that the Pentagon has been subsidizing these same carriers as part of the Iraqi Liberation operation. Or at least that's how it reads, as US carriers announced their latest quarterly losses or in a few cases, profits. However, all profits -- aside from those at LCCs like JETBLUE and SOUTHWEST -- came from the money given by Washington.
The American government consistenly decries subsidies when other countries provide them to their industries, but how can these be justified?
I have posted a more detailed outline of these payments at:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum5/HTML/010186.html
I will try to find a link to the original Reuters story, though I suspect someone has already posted it somewhere here.
And now Reuters is reporting that the Pentagon has been subsidizing these same carriers as part of the Iraqi Liberation operation. Or at least that's how it reads, as US carriers announced their latest quarterly losses or in a few cases, profits. However, all profits -- aside from those at LCCs like JETBLUE and SOUTHWEST -- came from the money given by Washington.
The American government consistenly decries subsidies when other countries provide them to their industries, but how can these be justified?
I have posted a more detailed outline of these payments at:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum5/HTML/010186.html
I will try to find a link to the original Reuters story, though I suspect someone has already posted it somewhere here.