033 // Taking off or crash landing? The economics of the airline industry

Kathryn Exon Smith -

The airline industry took a major hit in 2020, but a number of economic challenges existed already, from aging infrastructure to labour concerns to the effects of climate change. What factors determine who succeeds and who fails? How will airlines manage the coming mass retirement of pilots? Will the historic increase in air travel continue apace despite the setbacks of the past year? And how will all of these changes affect how consumers experience air travel?

This salon will get into some of the large-scale economic trends in the airline industry, and how they will shape air travel in the years to come.

Kerry is an Associate Professor of Economics and an airline expert at Loyola Univeristy Maryland's Sellinger School of Business. He has a Ph.D. and M.A. from The Ohio State University and a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego. His research interests include industrial organization and applied microeconomics, with a particular focus on the airline industry.

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This salon took place February 12, 2021.