The Economic Impact of the Airline Industry in the South Douglas Jacobson May 2004
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The Council of State Governments ~ P.O. Box 98129~ Atlanta, Georgia 30359 ~ 404/633-1866 ~ www.slcatlanta.org The Economic Impact of the Airline Industry in the South Douglas Jacobson May 2004 Introduction The airline industry serves not just as an economic engine for states, cities and regions, but as a cog in the essential network of transportation within the United States. Furthermore, airlines, with their familiar names and easily recognizable symbols, can bring a sense of unity to the large communities which they serve. The industry creates its impact not just by providing direct employment, but also through the creation of opportunities throughout the travel and hospitality sector of the economy. Jobs in hotels, resorts, restaurants and car rental agencies, just to mention one small part of the economy, depend to differing degrees on the health of the airline industry. Yet the industry finds itself in a very difficult period. With the new focus on homeland security in the United States, exacerbated by war, the terrorist attacks of 2001, a downturn in the economy, and anomalies such as the SARS virus, the airline industry has found itself in a state of turmoil, loss and great trepidation. With the industry especially important to its birthplace, the Southern region, this report highlights the contributions of carriers to local and regional economies and the challenges that face them in Southern states. Recent headlines concerning airlines have an enormous array of expensive equipment been dominated by tales of layoffs, corporate and facilities such as aircraft and hangars. In malfeasance, bankruptcies, severance packages a very capital-intensive business, most of this and labor strife. While continuing to struggle equipment must be financed through loans or financially, airlines are working to resolve stock issuance, but leasing remains typical as issues with unions, cut costs as painlessly as well. The industry generates substantial cash possible, and eventually return to profitability, flow to repay debt and buy new airplanes, all while better serving the public. The fact which, like most tangible goods, depreciate remains that commercial aviation is invaluable over time. The industry also is distinguished to the nation’s economy. Airports generate by the amount of time and effort which must $507 billion each year, nationwide, in total be concentrated on customer service, requiring economic activity, creating almost 2 million a high amount of labor. More than one- jobs directly and almost 5 million indirectly in third of airlines’ revenue is consumed by the surrounding communities. These employees industry’s work force. Labor costs per worker earn $190 billion a year and generate $33.5 are among the highest in American industry, billion in local, state and federal taxes.1 a result of a long history of federal regulation How Do Airlines Operate? and unionization. In addition, airlines’ profit margins are very thin, with particularly good The airline industry, which can be difficult years bringing a profit of 1 percent or 2 to grasp from a theoretical perspective, percent. Revenue comes from sources such basically is one in which airlines perform as passengers (75 percent), cargo shippers (15 the service of transporting customers (and percent) and other transport services. About their belongings or products) from one point 80 percent of passenger revenue comes from to another for a price. There is no physical domestic tickets, while frequent flyers, who product or inventory, and making a profit is travel more than 10 times annually, constitute extremely challenging. Most carriers possess The Economic Impact of the Airline Industry in the South, page 1 about 40 percent of trips but only 8 percent passenger has paid a different fare for a of the total flying public. Labor costs are the similar seat. This makes sense when one single biggest outlay (35 percent), with fuel considers that seats on flights hold different second (12 percent) and rapidly rising landing values for different passengers. A vacationer and terminal fees adding up as well.2 in no hurry to arrive at the beach at a specific time has little incentive to pay top dollar for Where Does the Money Go? a business-class fare or a last-minute seat; Costs Percent Explanation however, business travelers who learn at the Flying Operations 27 Fuel and pilot salaries last minute of a cross-continent engagement are more likely to pay whatever fare the airline Aircraft and Traffic 16 Cost of handling passengers, charges. Airlines must maximize revenue on Service cargo and aircraft on the ground each flight, avoiding both too few empty seats and salaries of baggage handlers caused by too little discounting, and selling out and agents all the seats far in advance without the chance Maintenance 13 Parts and labor for lucrative last-minute sales. This process, Promotion/Sales 13 Advertising and travel agent called yield management, is managed by highly commissions evolved software programs, but the human element comes into play as carriers have to Transport Related 10 Delivery trucks watch for competitors’ discounts. This model, Passenger Service 9 In-flight service, food, drink and however, has come under increased scrutiny attendant salaries recently as low-fare carriers (such as Southwest and AirTran) have found success using a Administrative 6 business model which caps one-way fares at a Depreciation/ 6 maximum price of $300 at all times. Amortization table 1 Carriers use a number of indicators in Source: Air Transport Association, Airline Handbook, Chapter 4. order to measure performance. Revenue passenger miles (RPM) refer to one passenger Table 1 provides a breakdown of carried one mile, with those using frequent airline expenditures, with labor costs spread flyer miles counted as well. This also is throughout many of the categories, including known as “traffic.” Capacity is determined flying operations, aircraft and traffic service, using available seat miles (ASM), which is and passenger service. Some costs, such one seat carried one mile, whether occupied as fuel, remain beyond the airlines’ control. by a passenger or not. The load factor is the While companies may contract in advance for percentage of RPMs to ASMs and is used as cheaper fuel prices and buy in bulk, the market a measure of efficiency. The break-even load ultimately dictates the price. In addition, many factor refers to the percentage of seats that an airline employees belong to unions, making airline keeps in service that must be sold at a salary reduction at best a long and complicated certain price level to cover cost. Traditionally process. Some industry stalwarts, such as the break-even point has been around 66 American and United, recently have managed percent, and carriers operate very close to the to win concessions from their union employees, load factor as a rule of thumb. Finally, yield actions considered key to their survival by is passenger revenue for each RPM and is analysts. expressed in cents. This is the average amount Pricing paid by all passengers. Air travel can be considered a commodity, Fleet planning also plays a major role in with the trip being the means to achieve an end, carriers’ profitability. Airlines have to weigh in this case the need to reach a destination. No the cost of new, more efficient aircraft against seat on an aircraft has any value unto itself, and the older planes which currently comprise the profit margin per unit remains small. Air a major portion of their fleets. The latter travel is not a perfect commodity, however, require extensive maintenance and often more since airlines have brand names which fuel, since manufacturers have increased fuel influence consumers, but price remains a main efficiency on newer models. International priority for consumers. flights, of course, often require large, widebody As any avid aviation aficionado knows, aircraft, but that often translates into many fares change constantly, and on any given empty seats on the less popular routes. In flight it is highly likely that each individual addition, new airplane purchases can take three The Economic Impact of the Airline Industry in the South, page 2 The Economic Impact of the Airline Industry in the South, page 3 years from the date of order to delivery, and and fares for each carrier. A sea change in new models must be ordered by several airlines the industry occurred when, after many years in order to make production feasible. of pressure to let the market dictate fares and routes, President Carter signed the Airline Deregulation, which in this case refers Deregulation Act in October 1978. Economists to the federal government’s decision to allow long had noted that fares for unregulated, airlines to set their own pricing policies and intrastate flights, for example, between Dallas route schedules, ushered in a new era of and Houston, were on average much lower than aviation in the United States, beginning in those for interstate flights of the same distance, 1978. Since America’s emphasis on private and there was growing motivation for the business has prevented the country from federal government to address this disparity. putting all its aviation eggs in one flag carrier’s basket, the success of numerous companies, Pressure to deregulate came in different whether start-ups like Midway or storied giants forms. As manufacturers such as Boeing and such as Eastern or PanAm, has depended on the Lockheed developed widebody aircraft, the individual corporations’ success in dealing with possibility of increased capacity and, therefore, market forces in a rapidly changing aviation increased revenue, became a reality on a environment. growing number of routes. The OPEC oil Recent History of the Industry embargo of 1973 resulted in appreciably higher fuel costs and contributed to inflation, which There has been a great deal of in turn caused a downturn in business and a consolidation in the recent history of the strain on airlines.