Low-cost air travel pioneer dies
1 January 2011The American economist credited with bringing about lower fares for airline passengers has died at the age of 93.
Alfred E Kahn was best known as the architect of airline deregulation in the United States, a process that started during President Carter’s administration in the late 1970s.
His reforms made it possible for budget airlines in the US, such as Southwest and Jetblue, to offer no-frills service at massively lower prices than traditional carriers.
This model has been widely copied elsewhere in the world, with the new generation no-frills low-price carriers now entrenched in Europe and Asia, as well as the US.
source: BBC News
