Major institutional, regulatory, and structural changes have occurred in
international air transport during the past two decades. Many countries
have deregulated their domestic airline industries and open skies
continental blocs have formed in Europe and North America A movement is
now underway to create a liberalized continental bloc in Australasia.
International air transport has been substantially liberalized due to
the diminishing role of lATA as an industry cartel, and via a series of
liberalized bilateral agreements signed between many countries,
including the u.s. and UK Increased liberalization and
continentalization have induced major airlines to create global service
networks through inter-carrier alliances. And all these changes are
intensifYing competition between major carriers in both domestic and
international markets. The increased competition and economic recession
in the early 1990s led many airlines to massive fmancial losses, forcing
them to undertake major restructuring to improve efficiency and reduce
costs. Although it is important for an airline to map out proper
strategies in the globalizing airline industry, the ultimate ability of
a carrier to swvive and prosper in increasingly competitive markets
greatly depends on its productivity and cost competitiveness.