The American Airlines Industry and the Necessity of Deregulation

AS THE CHAIRMAN of the the United States' Senate Subcommittee on Administrative Practice, I have had the opportunity in recent months to observe and review in great detail the practices and procedures utilized by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in its regulation and control of the varied aspects of the American airlines industry. During the preceeding 18 months, the Subcommittee's oversight of the operations of the CAB has been extremely comprehensive consisting of 10 days of public hearings in which 72 witnesses were called to testify before the Subcommittee. Extensive questionnaires directed to each of the individual airlines and the CAB itself were also included, as well as numerous economic studies which were conducted and reviewed in many instances in order to provide sufficient factual data and information to aid in the Subcommittee's investigation