What a year it’s been. In the last 12 months, we saw many interesting events unfold. The trend of airline consolidation continued with the announcements for a couple notable mergers. The big buzz around the industry continued to be the environment as more products were introduced for their “green” attributes. The focus on more environmentally friendly operations has shown no signs of slowing down — and that’s a good thing.
There has also been steady, encouraging news on the financial side for the airlines. Passenger numbers are up overall and so are many of the earnings reports. Signs of life have stirred in the ground support industry, though certainly not as quickly as we might like. The latest passenger figures in November have continued to point toward a stronger year in 2011 — but in an industry such as ours, one is hesitant to make any kind of prediction.
On the road again
One sure bet in the upcoming year is that I will continue to be on the road to communicate all the happenings in the industry.
The fall was a busy time for travel. I took one trip down to Atlanta to learn more about Delta’s operations, which can be read about in this issue’s cover story.
I also had the chance toward the end of the year to visit several manufacturers, including Hobart Ground Power, ColumbusJack/Regent and Hercules Engine Components. Thank you to the companies that opened up their operations and took the time to show me around. I look forward to more visits in 2011.
