There have been awful incidents where airplanes sit on the tarmac for hours and hours on end. The government’s solution? Simply issue an order to cap the limit to 3 hours. Gee, that’s brilliant. Why didn’t the airlines think of this? This shows how much smarter and more moral government is. The question left unanswered: What are the consequences of this policy? Airlines have every incentive to please customers. If all the airlines are delaying their passengers, it would massively increase the profits of one airline in particular to fix this problem and become one of the leaders in the industry. Government is not needed to make businesses want a profit. I don’t know what the unintended consequences of this popular government policy will be. I only know there will be unintended consequences — i.e. the very reasons which prevented all the airlines from taking this step in the first place. I also know the government policy will have the same effect that a voluntary change in airline policy would have had: Increased fares. I also know that airlines, not government, will get all the blame.
Let’s not forget that government agencies own and operate airports. While airlines are private and for-profit, airports are not. But this doesn’t matter. Maybe government should take over all airplanes and airlines so we can remove the stench of profit from flying forever. I don’t know about you, but when when I’m flying 30,000 feet off the ground I sure don’t want anyone making a profit. I just want to know that a government employee is protecting me. Ditto for doctors and medical care, which government is happily taking over as I write this. So let airlines be next. Oops, I forgot. “Cap and trade” is next — and the use of carbon-based energy will become mostly illegal, except for the politically connected. After that passes, we might not have to worry much about airlines and delays any longer.