A slightly different twist to the argument. I'm by no means in favour of $1000 fees, I'm talking about a few hundred Euros like a lot of European airlines want for an application. A recruiter told me fees are a good way of separating those who want to be there, from those who are half-cocked. Sometimes people just apply for the heck of it. Or apply for the experience of an interview and assessment. Stick a €300 application on there, and chances are a time waster won't apply. So the airline is left with mostly 100% motivated applicants.
I disagree with these fees, but this is from a recruiter's perspective.