Aviation Recession in Canada Airlines feel the Recession Air travel way down as consumers, Air Businesses tighten their belts
It’s a tough time for the airlines, with passenger and cargo traffic down and projections of fewer air travelers this summer as the nation struggles to recover from a recession. That makes it a challenge for airports to hold onto the air service they have, much less be able to persuade airlines to introduce new service. “It’s very, very tough to expand air service when fewer people are flying,” said aviation consultant Michael Boyd, president of Boyd Group Inc. in Evergreen, Colo. “The airlines are cutting capacity.” Leisure travel drops when the economy dips, and some companies reduce business travel expenses by having executives conduct meetings by video conferences, said Iftikhar Ahmad, Dayton’s aviation director. Officials of Dayton International Airport and other airports regularly talk with airline executives in hopes of getting new flight service, as well as maintaining relations to keep existing service. “It is harder to bring in more service,” Ahmad said. “If people