Airline Woes Preceded Sept. 11 and Will Remain Long After

Sept. 11 didn't cause the crisis facing the airline industry -- it merely exacerbated existing systemic problems. Thanks in part to a massive federal lifeline, the events have also speeded up the much-needed overhaul of an industry resistant to change.

In the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, no sector was as directly devastated as airlines. Fear of flying was pandemic. Even a year later, security questions remain.

But predictions that passengers would never return to the skies proved only half right. The bargain hunters returned. Only the business-fare travelers stayed away -- and that has more to do with the economy than terrorism.

The Reckoning

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