Firstly: the airline industry is inherently risk-averse, which is fine if you're responsible for the safety of several tens or hundreds of passengers (most of whom have no real understanding of risk) but a kills commercial innovation.
Secondly: up to now, new entrants to market have required sums of money that typically can only come from investors who will only take a (modest) risk if they know that the venture is run by a management team with the "right experience" - i.e. well-trained in risk avoidance, and reared on a long history of state support.
Thirdly: everything that can or does go wrong is the airline's fault, especially if the paying passenger is an idiot who can't or won't read T&Cs or follow instructions so The Powers That Be insist on a range of rules and regulations that tie up funds that could otherwise be used to grow the business.
What's needed is for someone from outside the airline industry to come in with some radical, real-world, retail experience and the arrogance to face up to the idiotic members of the public and anyone else who gets in the way of a good commercial operation. A sweet-shop owner from Mullingar, for example.
Fortunately, Pandora's box has been opened and all manner of nasty commercial realities are going to disrupt the cosy alliances and quasi-monopolies that even the Sweetshop Owner feels bound to pursue.
