Ex-CEO Revives Dreaded 'R' Word for Airlines

The man who brought frequent-flyer and hub-and-spoke to airlines has a plan to fix the industry—with the dreaded "R" word as its centerpiece, Wired reports. Yes, former American CEO Bob Crandall wants the government to re-regulate: "It's time to acknowledge that airlines are more like utilities than ordinary businesses," he said, and suggested the following:

• A role for feds to set prices, which should cut down on fare wars that make flying unprofitable.
• Change labor law to make union strikes illegal and mandate binding arbitration.
• Bigger planes, which would cut out those 50-seaters—but also the number of daily regional flights.
• Overhaul the air-traffic control system.

(More American Airlines stories.)