Airline Route Profitability Analysis: A Practical Framework

Most advice on airline route profitability analysis starts with the wrong question. It asks whether a flight is full, then pretends fullness tells you anything useful about profit. It doesn't, because airlines live on unit economics, not applause from a crowded cabin. A route can look healthy and still sit one small step away from break-even. In a 12-month period ending Q3 2024, U.S. passenger majors reported system PRASM...