Does Delta have a target airline in mind, and why is consolidation an option?
No, we don’t have another airline in mind. I am only making a general point. Having been in the banking industry, I have been involved in many transactions that were either mergers or acquisitions that improved the economic fortunes of the companies involved. Sometimes there is some immediate turmoil, but on the whole, it would improve the fortunes of the company. And also having been through this with Conrail (which was divided up by a government panel), I want to ensure that we have the ability to have the market decide this on its own. This industry is tremendously competitive, and if consolidation ever took place, or was allowed to take place, it would take the hub-and-spoke carriers down to about three to four, and they themselves would be very competitive. On top of that, there is an extraordinarily vital discount market out there with Southwest and Jet Blue, and they also would provide competition. Q: What about Comair, your Erlanger-based regional subsidiary? Any lessons learne
