Researcher ORCID Identifier

0009-0009-2432-0889

Graduation Year

2025

Date of Submission

4-2025

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Government

Reader 1

John J. Pitney Jr.

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2025 Lewis R White

Abstract

This thesis examines the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 and the often-unintended consequences on the American aviation industry and the United States. Originally championed by Senator Ted Kennedy, economist Alfred Kahn, and future Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, deregulation aimed to lower fares, increase competition, and improve consumer choice. While it initially expanded air travel access and reduced fares, deregulation also triggered rapid industry consolidation, monopolistic practices, service losses to small and mid-sized communities, and long-term financial instability. Major carriers used hub-and-spoke models and mergers to dominate key airports, marginalize competitors, and drive up prices. Deregulation further exacerbated regional inequalities, reduced consumer protections, and contributed to labor market disruptions. This thesis explores these developments through historical analysis, case studies, and economic theory, ultimately arguing that while deregulation opened the skies to millions of Americans, it also created an oligopolistic system dependent on government bailouts. The work connects policy ambitions to their outcomes, highlighting lessons for the future of aviation policy in the United States.

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