As mentioned above, less traffic is a silver lining for all, in many ways, not least, BAA who will not need all these new runways they want in the SE of UK. Fewer and less attractive jobs in aviation will mean a downturn for training schools, agencies, outsource and ancillary companies, caterers, engineering and so on and so on. The loss of jobs in all these places will be considerable, leading to further drains on the Social Security budget, and all this at a time of falling revenues for the treasury. The rise in fuel tax will soon be offset by the reduction in consumption as people tighten their belts. Less, spending, less tax revenue, more borrowing, low growth, inflation due to rising prices....result..well you don't need a crystal ball to see where we are going.
If anyone thinks that life will be the same or even only slightly worse in the 2010s, they are living on another planet.
Airlines will be among the first to reduce capacity, reduce costs and retrench in an effort to survive. Some are better able to adapt than others. I would suggest that airlines that are already lean and mean, the bottom feeders, will be the survivors while the dinosaurs become extinct.
Luxury or gas guzzling cars, SLKs perhaps, holidays to beautiful, clean civilised Budapest, eating out and the kids trips to Alton Towers will be the first to suffer, among others.
Individuals, including PIB, might want to look long into the future and plan accordingly. It ain't going to get any better in the near or distant future.
Thread drift rather alters the thrust of the original title with regard to WW and BA because it will affect the whole aviation industry.
Last edited by rubik101; 7th Jul 2008 at 14:28.
Reason: Grammar