The Regulation of Air Transport. From Protectionism to Liberalisation, and Back Again?

摘要

IT IS SOMETIMES difficult to remember,even for us ‘oldies’, just howrestrictive air transport used tobe. The economic regulatory environmentwhich emerged from theChicago Conference of 1944, and survivedfor many years thereafter, wascharacterised by strict governmentcontrol over tariffs, routes and capacity,State ownership of most majorairlines and open collusion onfares and schedules (not only permitted,but usually actually required bygovernments). The predictable resultwas an inefficient, loss-making industryfocused on the interests of producersrather than consumers.