U.S. Airline Industry Sees Long Recovery Ahead

June 11, 2003

U.S. Airline Industry Sees Long Recovery Ahead
At an analyst conference in New York yesterday, airline executives were hesitant to predict that the industry has turned a positive corner in their financial crisis.

According to USAToday.com, Southwest Airlines is the only company that has been consistently profitable since the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Other carriers have lost billions of dollars as demand for air travel sunk over the past year and a half.

The recent end to the War with Iraq and distilling concerns over SARS, combined with the expected increase in summer travel, should increase demand for air travel.

Southwest Airlines executives admit the situation has evened out for the time being. "Things have stabilized. Things are not getting worse," said Southwest Airlines CEO Jim Parker. "In my opinion, it is too early for me to stand here and tell you that things are getting better."

For more about this story, visit USAToday.com.