WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today the witnesses for an Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee hearing on The Financial State of the Airline Industry for March 13, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. The witnesses are listed below.

 

After posting nearly $35 billion in cumulative net losses from 2001 through 2005, U.S. air carriers have been able to return to profitability over the past two years. Domestic airlines earned an estimated net profit of roughly $3.5 billion last year, slightly more than the $3.0 billion in net profits achieved in 2006. Despite this success, air carriers continue to face significant challenges, including high fuel prices, growing competition, and severe congestion and delay problems. This hearing will examine the state of the airline industry with a focus on both the current financial state and long-term economic outlook of domestic air carriers and their workforce.

 

Date:  Thursday, March 13, 2008 

 

Mr. Mark Cooper, Director of Research, Consumer Federation of America

 

Mr. Patrick Murphy, Principal, Gerchick-Murphy Associates, LLC

 

Mr. Darryl Jenkins, Visiting Professor, Embry-Riddle University

 

Mr. Ray Neidl, Analyst, Calyon Securities

 

Mr. Ed Wytkind, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO