An interesting story on MCall's site. These stories have bee repeated quite a bit lately and all say the same thing – airlines are discovering that many of the 10,000 pilots who were laid off aren't interested in returning. Many left the industry permanently or now work for better run airlines overseas.
You cannot blame pilots for maximizing their revenues – that is rational. But what does it say about the way US airlines are run? For decades the industry has been through feast and famine. These wild gyrations have created lower fares for passengers but hurt employees, airlines and even lenders. The current upswing in US airline fortunes has been matched with much greater care. No crazy capacity increases that set off another round of wars. Let's hope these more deliberate moves bring greater stability to airlines, their employees and everyone depending on the commercial aviation industry.
