Airways Magazine June 2024 | Page 61

AIRWAYS INTERVIEW Alex Wilcox
You are based here in Dallas Love Field . How would you describe your local competition ? There are two Dallas-based airlines in our area . One has a 98 % market share at Dallas Love Field ( DAL ). Ninety-eight percent ! If that ’ s not a monopoly , I don ’ t know what is . The other one has a 70 % market share in Dallas Fort Worth ( DFW ). They ’ re trying to preserve their monopolies or , in their case , maybe duopolies , and I think they ’ re desperate to do so .
We have got their attention . I personally think that the friends and neighbors of the executives of these airlines fly on JSX , and they love JSX and can ’ t stop talking about it ; so , these guys are really annoyed .
Given your experience with JetBlue and JSX , do you think that the US market is currently lacking innovation ? This Biden administration has recognized that there is a lack of innovation and that there are monopolistic practices going on in the industry today . I think I agree with you . I think the administration agrees with you . I think politicians , whether left or right , all agree that there ’ s been too much consolidation in the industry and that there should be new entrants . These should be encouraged . There should be more innovation . Innovation is the name of the game for equality of life , for consumers , for infrastructure , for a country , and for progress .
We represent some small innovation now in terms of how we get people on and off of their airplanes . When the hybrid electric airplanes come , they will represent a much bigger innovation because it ’ s going to be much , much cheaper to operate them . The maintenance costs will be lower , the fuel costs will be lower ; so , we ’ ll be able to provide our services to many , many more people at a much lower price point . That is the name of the game . That ’ s progress . Change does have its enemies , but that has never stopped people from changing .
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