On the Success of Airline Deregulation

Missing the Point

Re: Airline Deregulation Article: April 17

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/business/17air.html

To Micheline Maynard
New York Times

Just saw your column in the New York Times.

Perhaps I missed something, but it is astounding that you could have written an article assessing airline deregulation and not have prominently mentioned the impacts on consumers --- that deregulation has been associated with a huge increase in passenger usage, that simply could not have happened in the regulated environment.

This article seems to convey a much greater concern about producers than consumers. Businesses and society, in the final analysis, exist for the good of consumers and by that standard, airline deregulation has been a huge success.

Best regards,

Wendell Cox
Principal, Demographia (St. Louis)
Visiting Professor, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers (Paris)