US airlines beat Asian and European rivals in profitability
Delta, American, United, Southwest junk old habits, pull themselves up
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[ATLANTA] The bankruptcies, mergers and jet-fuel shocks that rocked US airlines during the last decade yielded a surprising result: the world's most profitable carriers.
US airlines led by Delta now hold the top spots in the global industry by operating income and market value, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Just five years ago, European and Asian companies including Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa dominated the field.
Delta, American, United and Southwest pulled themselves up by junking old habits such as adding flights to win market share. Scarred by restructuring in court, the big US carriers are curbing the supply of seats so they can raise fares and charge for extras that once were free.
