The federal govt already regulates who can and can't be a 121 operator. And they do this for the sake of public safety, and for reliable transportation. When airlines are trying to penny pinch every aspect of their company, that's not safe. If the company didn't have to do that, I'm sure they could provide a better and safer product to the customer. This is how our government works. We are not a pure free market economy as it is. The government intervenes when necessary. Whether I agree with it or not, it happens, and not just to airlines. I just think that if they are going to regulate it as much as they do already, why not make it actually work for the airlines by allowing them to make a profit instead of laying off thousands of employees every time the economy slows down.

And btw the government already regulates the price of groceries. They pay farmers to NOT grow/sell their produce. And as I recall, you have to have a license to sell cars, and houses as well. I wonder who licenses these people and regulates those industries? No I don't believe in pure socialism, but our country already has that somewhat blended into it. Just like we aren't a pure democracy, or a pure capitalist nation. We are about as close as you can get to it though and still make it work. Pure capitalism leads to monopoly eventually, and that doesn't benefit the majority of the people out there. The government lets businesses compete with eachother, while still ensuring safety and freedom for it's citizens.