Assessing competitive behavior by US air carriers

This article seeks evidence of predatory practices by major US air carriers . Specifically, attempts are made to determine the following: (1) whether m ajor carrier incumbents respond more aggressively to entry by smaller carri ers than they do to entry by other major carriers; (2) whether major carrie rs respond more aggressively to smaller carriers than do smaller carriers t hemselves; and, (3) whether smaller entrants fail at a greater rate than ma jor carriers. Little evidence of any practices by major incumbent carriers against smaller new entrants that can be deemed predatory, rather than norm al competitive behavior, is found.