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Financial Analysis Of Selected Airlines

A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF SELECTED AIRLINE¡¯S PROSPECTS

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction 3
2. Trends and Strategies in the Airline Industry: a Brief Overview 3
3. Airline Profiles 5
3.1 Southwest Airlines 5
3.2 United Airlines 5
3.3 American Airlines 5
4. The Impact of Acquisitions and Mergers 6
4.1 United Airlines/USAir 6
4.2 American Airlines/Trans World Airlines 7
4.3 Southwest Airlines/ATA 7
5. The Impact of Bankruptcy Proceedings on Untied Airlines 8
6. Effect of United Airlines Chapter 11 Proceedings on Other Airlines 9
7. External Factors Affecting the Airline Industry 9
7.1 Effects of September 11 on the Airline Industry 9
7.2 Effects of the Iraq War on the Airline Industry 10
7.3 Effects of SARS on the Airline Industry 10
7.4 The Impact of Oil Prices 11
7.4.1 Fuel Hedging 11
7.4.2 Jet Fuel Hedging Strategies 12
7.4.3 Airline Stock Prices Fall Due to Record Fuel Prices 13
8. Conclusion 13


1. Introduction
This analysis focuses on the US airline industry and its companies¡¯ stocks during the last decade. Specifically, this analysis gives attention to two so-called legacy airlines which include UAL Corporation, holding company for United Air Lines, Inc. (¡°United Airlines¡±), AMR Corp., holding company of inter alia American Airlines, Inc. (¡°American Airlines¡±), and a low cost carrier, Southwest Airlines Co. ("Southwest Airlines"). These three airlines were chosen in particular as they each have very unique strategies on how they compete in this extremely competitive industry.

2. Trends and Strategies in the Airline Industry: a Brief Overview
Hurt by poor profits and scarred from likely terrorist attacks against the US due to the US involvement in the Iraq war, the airline industry finds itself on a bumpy course. In an effort to head off a drop in the number of passengers and rising costs for security , companies laid off staff and trimmed services. In an already intensely competitive market, the ¡°inevitable¡± industry...