SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- There could be more frustration in store for holiday travelers who fly, and not all of it can be blamed on Mother Nature. As if an especially snowy holiday season weren't bad enough, at least one airline is reported to have been caught without enough equipment available to de-ice their planes. It could be a sign some airlines have cut back a little too much.
KCBS’ Susan Leigh Taylor Reports
"Just take a look at airline employment for example, just since the end of 2007 they've cut 2,000 plus jobs here in the United States," said Frank Werner is an associate professor of finance at Fordham University. "In terms of extra equipment around, they're just not replacing it at the rate that they might have otherwise, so when really bad weather comes along, it's much more difficult for the airlines to respond."
He says, don't hold your breath waiting for those cuts to be restored just because fuel prices have come down.
"Several of the airlines, thinking that they were being wise when fuel prices were up in the $140 per barrel range locked in prices that they thought were cheap, but now that fuel has come down so much, those prices are looking relatively expensive," said Werner.
(MGO)
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