Airline Deregulation Act

Definition

The Airline Deregulation Act was a landmark legislation passed in 1978 that removed government control over fares, routes, and market entry in the airline industry. This act marked a significant shift towards a more free-market approach in the aviation sector, ending decades of federal regulation.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Airline Deregulation Act aimed to promote competition and efficiency in the airline industry by allowing airlines to set their own fares and routes without government interference.
2. The act led to the entry of new airlines, increased competition, and a decline in airfares, making air travel more accessible to the general public.
3. Deregulation also resulted in the consolidation of the industry, as larger airlines acquired smaller ones, leading to the creation of a few dominant carriers.
4. The act gave airlines more flexibility in pricing, allowing them to engage in price discrimination strategies, such as offering different fares for the same route based on factors like travel dates and class of service.
5. The deregulation of the airline industry served as a model for the deregulation of other industries, such as telecommunications and energy, in the following decades.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Airline Deregulation Act changed the competitive landscape of the airline industry.
  • The Airline Deregulation Act removed government control over fares, routes, and market entry, leading to increased competition in the industry. This allowed new airlines to enter the market, which in turn drove down airfares and made air travel more accessible to the general public. However, the act also led to industry consolidation, as larger airlines acquired smaller ones, resulting in the creation of a few dominant carriers in the market.
• Describe how the Airline Deregulation Act impacted pricing strategies in the airline industry.
  • The Airline Deregulation Act gave airlines more flexibility in pricing, allowing them to engage in price discrimination strategies. Airlines could now offer different fares for the same route based on factors such as travel dates, class of service, and customer demographics. This enabled airlines to maximize revenue by charging higher prices to customers with a higher willingness to pay, while offering lower fares to price-sensitive consumers. The ability to price discriminate was a significant outcome of the deregulation process.
• Evaluate the broader implications of the Airline Deregulation Act and its role in shaping the deregulation movement in other industries.
  • The Airline Deregulation Act served as a model for the deregulation of other industries in the following decades, such as telecommunications and energy. The success of the act in promoting competition, efficiency, and consumer choice in the airline industry demonstrated the potential benefits of moving away from heavy government regulation and towards a more market-driven approach. This deregulation movement reflected a broader shift in economic policy towards embracing free-market principles and reducing the role of the government in regulating private industries. The Airline Deregulation Act was a significant milestone in this broader trend, paving the way for similar deregulatory efforts in other sectors of the economy.

Related terms

Monopoly:

A market structure where a single supplier dominates the industry, often resulting in higher prices and less consumer choice.

Oligopoly:

A market structure where a small number of firms compete, often leading to less intense competition and higher prices.

Price Discrimination:

The practice of charging different prices for the same product or service based on factors such as customer demographics or willingness to pay.