IATA CEO Interview: ‘We’ve Got to Be Very Careful We Don’t Re-Regulate the Industry’
Skift Take
It’s difficult to argue with Tyler when he says the cabin product has improved dramatically. Vintage romance aside, “Golden age” flyers would have given a wing to fly in any of today’s Premium Economy cabins. Of course, for what they paid to fly — in relative dollars — they could well afford a trip on Etihad’s The Residence.
During the CAPA Airlines in Transition conference in Dublin this month, we had an opportunity to sit with IATA Director General and CEO Tony Tyler for a candid conversation about the future prospects and challenges of the aviation industry.
Among other topics, we discussed the push by U.S. legislators and passenger groups to set universal standards for airline service, and minimum requirements for the cabin experience.
To Tyler, these initiatives represent a worrying trend which could reverse progress made over the past forty years, since de-regulation and airline privatization began.
“We've got to be very careful that we don't re-regulate the industry,” Tyler said. “There are some warning bells ringing in the U.S. where th
