Dolphinflyer

Yes I realize that and there is a substantial market to the areas you mentioned and may support a large fleet size if Africa and some Asian countries pull their economic and political heads out of their "south ends".

O/D traffic is important.

intrepidcv11

The hubs exist due to favorable state driven lending terms, ample explotation of migrant workers, and the fact that India does not have a reliable airline system. Take away those facts and all the blubbering about super hubs goes poof.

CaptYoda

VAT to generate Dh20 billion in second year for UAE, Minister of Economy says | The National

They need the money.

GogglesPisano

What intrepidcv11 said. The chief reason these government departments exist is due to subsidies. Geographic location helps. But petro dollars help a lot more.

Crucero

Question,

Has any U.S carrier ever received assistance from the U.S Government?

Loans?
Bankruptcy protection?
Pension bailouts?
Subsidized routes?

80ktsClamp

Sure, but to compare it to the massive assistance that the ME3 have gotten isn't even on the same planet.

Karnak

Yes!

Braniff, Eastern, People, & PanAm all did too. It was so substantial that none of them ever had to worry about their viability. None of the US carriers has ever had to face the specter of corporate raiders like Qatar, Etihad, and Emirates have, let alone the tragedy those 3 faced when hijackers flew their planes into those skyscrapers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Thankfully, the coddled US airlines have always had the Sultan and the rest of the royal family here in America to protect us from foreign competition in our tiny nation.

e6bpilot

It's still a flawed business plan that depends on filling seats on huge widebody aircraft and people willing to hub through that part of the world.
Agree that Africa is going to see a lot of growth, but how much of that is going to be long haul international? Not much.
Point to point is the future. The ULCC trans Atlantic bonanza that is starting up now is just the tip of the iceberg. Once enough 787s get out there, the hub and spoke model that they have gone all in on is going to be very challenging to maintain.
Airbus went big (literally and figuratively) with the 380. The fact that the ME3 are the only remaining orders and that the other airlines that did order them are struggling to utilize them economically is very telling.
I think we will see consolidation and the ME3 running like a business sooner than later.

jcountry

**** Emirates!

When all their planes are pushed into a big hole to be recycled into beer cans, I want to operate the crusher.

Dolphinflyer

Compare those subsidies from the US Government to the US Government subsidies to DXB, AUH and DOH.

That's where the Billions are at.