Airlines have been a disaster for over 20 years. Since the demise of Pan Am and TWA in the 1980s there has been nothing but shrinkage here. The big airlines are always just a breath away from bankruptcy even with barebones service and greatly reduced schedules. The smaller regionals eke out a profit but are always cutting prices a little more to compete with the nearly no-fare players overseas. Planes are expensive, oil is impossible, people won't pay, labor is unionized, and massive unfunded pensions. Even newcomers with brand new fleets, low fares, and hand-picked travel routes like Jet Blue ultimately just cannot profit in this loser's game.