Written by a longstanding expert in the field, this book examines the deregulation of the airline industry and the rise of low cost airlines, specifically the success of Ryanair as a key case study.

This title was first published in 2001. By giving long over-due detailed consideration to airline deregulation in countries other than the US, Dipendra Sinha makes a unique contribution to the literature on airline deregulation and transport economics.

The end of the twentieth century saw remarkable changes in the way that economic regulation was viewed. There occurred a liberalization of attitude and something of a withdrawal of the state from its interventionist role. These changes were particularly pronounced in the context of transport, where the long-standing tradition had been one of market intervention by the government. The aim of this book, first published in 1991, is to examine the outcomes of deregulation on the international airline industry, and to consider whether the experiences of market liberalization reveal any common threads. In particular, whether they reveal any universal indications of how underlying transport markets function; how management responds to new stimuli; the degree of protection needed by transport users; and nature of the transition process from regulation to liberalization.

In the fast-changing theatre of air transportation, the strategic development of airlines and the operating economics of scheduled airline services have been transformed, following the profound impact of US deregulation. The lessons gleaned from the US experience, including effective ways of constraining rivals, have quickly been adopted by carriers facing the opening up to competition of their own local markets. In addition, in response to the hunt by the successful US survivors for further international traffic, carriers have been forced to emulate certain tactics adopted by these megacarriers, virtually irrespective of their own government’s regulatory stance. The economics of the sector, particularly with regard to revenue generation, has resulted in increased market concentration. In the longer term, prospects for competition remain unclear, given the likely existence of only a small number of similarly endowed, globally alligned megacarriers. This book explores the impact of deregulation policies on key areas of the airline industry, analyzes the response of incumbent carriers to economic freedom and examines whether or not it is possible to devise a pro-competitive regulatory strategy for this sector. The author provides the reader with a clear explanation as to: ¢ why airline deregulation policies have produced a number of unanticipated outcomes; ¢ why low-cost new entrants have been unable to survive under deregulation; ¢ why the impact of airline deregulation has differed between the USA and Western Europe. Using this analysis as a basis, he explores the future development of the sector, indicating the likely future trends towards globalization. He also argues that a competitive marketplace is not a guaranteed outcome of full deregulation and suggests an alternative approach. The book is of special interest to those members engaged in the airline industry, regulatory authorities and government departments of transport and industry. It wil

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Politics - Environmental Policy, grade: Distinction, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, course: Aviation Regulation, Environment and Operation , language: English, abstract: Starting in the USA where deregulation of air transportation began in the late seventies, this trend was observable throughout Europe in the eighties and Australia at the beginning of the nineties. The major arguments for liberalisation were in general a reduction of capacity constraints and a simplified market access (Himpel & Lipp 2006, p.26). Constitutional for these ideas is the theory of contestable markets which assumes the efficiency of competition with a free market entry and market exit. Therefore deregulation processes aim at providing a better, safer and more efficient industry. However, Geoffrey Thomas (2008) among others points out that in reality the liberalisation of air transportation has caused predominantly negative outcomes which is why there should be a return to some degree of regulation. Based on Thomas’ train of thoughts, this research paper is aimed at critically evaluating the effects of liberalisation both on the aviation industry and on the consumer. The paper is therefore structured as follows: after revealing the limitations of the evaluation, positive effects of liberalisation in Europe, the United States and Australia are outlined which are then opposed to negative effects. Based on these findings, a conclusion is finally drawn.