Railtracks in the Sky : "New" Labour, Air Transport Deregulation and the Competitive Market

by Reed, Peter W.

• ISBN13: 9780851246710
• ISBN10: 0851246710
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: Coronet Books Inc

Summary

Some of the world's largest airlines facing bankruptcy; American consumer groups calling for air transport re-regulation; National Air Traffic Services (NATS) on the verge of collapse only months after privatisation; an 'intensifying crisis' at London's airports; growing worries about operational standards in aviation; relentless pressure on the natural environment; these trends were clear long before the New York terrorist attacks.
In Railtracks in the Sky, one of Britain's most experienced transport professionals explains the issues in language that anyone can understand. This book also clears up some of the enduring mysteries of air travel such as Overbooking, Negative Add-ons and Bucket Shops. But perhaps the core issue it poses is that around the possible handing over of vital decisions to 'international' market forces.
As one of the original Labour modernisers, Peter Reed concludes that 'New' Labour's policies are unrealistic, unworkable and based on no more than ancient dogmas. He shows that alternative policies are perfectly feasible. An international managed regime for air transport could be made to work, starting at European Union level. But this would call for a rejection of discredited 'free market' nostrums and a major reorientation of policy thinking.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Regulation: Was Aviation Held Back By Its 'Shackles'?	p. 3
Deregulation: Does The USA Offer A Successful Model?	p. 10
Marketisation: The 'Natural' Solution For Airport Congestion, Capacity Shortage And Environmental Pollution?	p. 35
Privatisation: Creating A Railtrack In The Sky?	p. 54
Globalisation: All Power To International 'Market Forces'?	p. 71
'Modernisation': Is 'New' Labour's Philosophy Really Modern?	p. 91
Re-orientation: A Realistic Strategy for the Modern World?	p. 108
Notes and References	p. 117
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