An efficient air transport system is critical to countries attaining and sustaining healthy economies in an increasingly interconnected world economy. Competing successfully now means quick shipping over long distances at reasonable rates. Societies also prosper when people from different countries can travel around the world using efficient transport. This volume includes literature surveys and original empirical research examining airline efficiency in the twenty first century. Topics cover airline productivity, sources of airline efficiency, the cost and scope of operations in airline transport; airline productivity for different global regions; methodologies estimating productivity growth and efficiency. Further chapters on sources of airline efficiency examine fuel efficiency differences, efficiency in different stages of production, and the contributions of technological change, mergers, and low-cost carrier competition to efficiency. Chapters on the cost and scope of operations examine all-cargo carrier efficiency, gains from airline/high speed-rail cooperation, and airport economies of scope in passenger and freight operations.

Liberalization of regulatory policy on international air transportation through the use of bilateral and multilateral open skies agreements contributes to a business environment that presents air carriers with the opportunity to take advantage of greater access to aviation markets world-wide. Chapters in this volume of Advances in Airline Economics provide in-depth analysis of open skies agreements. In addition, contributions present empirical analysis of the effect of greater availability of international air transportation services on air fares, export flows, operating efficiency, and passenger demand for international flights. The influence of international airports on local metropolitan areas' economic development is also examined. Regulation of international air transportation, however, is not limited to the erosion of entry barriers. Companies providing international air transportation services also face restrictions on pollution emissions. This volume provides a more complete analysis of the economics of international air transportation by presenting research on the costs borne by air transportation companies due to pollution regulation in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Regulatory reform represents a major shift in the government's role toward price determination in the transportation and telecommunication industries. The resulting policy emphasizes dependence on market forces to set prices and to encourage efficient production techniques. While extensive research investigates the influence of deregulation on prices, profits and productivity, the effect on labor markets has not received the same scrutiny. Firms in these industries are of major importance to business operations in other industries because they provide the critical services of transporting goods and transmitting information. This may partly explain such extensive research on the product market aspects of regulatory reform. Examining labor markets in the transportation and telecommunications industries is also highly warranted, as historically these industries represented some of the most heavily unionized sectors in the economy. The extent to which regulatory reform has encouraged product market competition may not necessarily result in the same degree of competition across industries. Regulatory Reform and Labor Markets debates the notion that research on regulatory reform and labor markets should develop within the framework of the competitive model. This is achieved by presenting diverging views on wage and employment determination in distinctly different deregulated industries.

Airports serve an essential role in domestic and international travel, facilitating the origination, termination, and connections of air flights. Airport services enhance regional, national, and global connections, increasing the mobility of people worldwide and enhancing local and regional economies. Although there is a large amount of literature that examines airline costs and productivity, consumer welfare from air travel, and the influence of economic regulation of airline services, there is much less literature that examines airports. This is important, as airport operations play a critical role in influencing airline travel. This volume examines the role that airports play in economic development and land values, the regulation and economic efficiency of airports, airport pricing and competition, and the role played by airports in influencing airline operations and networks.

Air transport service has become an indispensable source of long distance transport for businesses and leisure travelers and for high-value-low-volume products. The significance of this transport service as a driver of economic growth is made abundantly apparent when examining the interdependence of business and air transport growth in Asia. Given the key role this region plays as a contributor to growth in the global airline transport service sector and the distinctive features of the aviation market observed, it is important to understand the economics of this sector in Asia. This volume contributes to the understanding of air transport services in Asia by presenting new research in the following four key areas in airline economics: Competition and regulatory change, passenger demand and satisfaction, industry performance, and the interdependence of airlines companies and airports. Specifically, in this volume prominent researchers in the region have examined important issues such as low cost carrier growth in Japan, competition against full service hub carriers in the Middle East, aviation market liberalization in Central Asia, high-speed-rail and airline competition in China, air transport and tourism in Asia and Australia, airline performance and outsourcing, airports development, and airport-airline cooperation. These rigorous studies contributes to a better understanding of the aviation market in Asia, allowing better decisions to be made by industry leaders and government agencies. This book also serves as an excellent reference book for researchers in the transport and logistics industry, and postgraduate students in the disciplines of applied economics, industrial organization, corporate strategy and public policy.

Stepped-up competition in the airline industry over the past 40 years profoundly changed how carriers set fares. Chapters in this volume contribute to our understanding of fare determination in this industry by examining carrier pricing behavior, such as non-linear pricing, pricing decisions associated with strategic alliances, competition from low cost carriers, and the challenges faced by carriers experiencing financial distress. These contributions present nuanced analyses of fare determination that include new ways of examining whether the prices charged by carriers are consumer welfare-enhancing. Examination of airline carrier pricing only tells part of the story of firm behavior, as analysis of carriers' ability to provide quality services is also significant in understanding the economics of this industry. This volume includes chapters examining non-price characteristics of business operations, such as frequency of service, passenger safety, availability of aircraft types for different transportation services, and the geographic distribution of air transportation-related noise by aircraft departures and arrivals at airports.

With the growth of just-in-time delivery and e-commerce, fast and efficient cargo delivery remains in high demand around the globe. Not so long ago, the air cargo mode was employed mostly to move higher valued goods. Open international trade, combined with scale/scope economies in air transport and the use of modern commercial jets means that now some formerly "bulky" commodities are moved by air, a modal choice that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. However, as it grows the industry is not without its controversies or detractors. Employing various empirical techniques and modeling perspectives, the authors highlight the methods by which air cargo companies today provide effective and increasingly affordable services and how such services enhance economic growth, trade and development. The chapters cover three broad operational areas: costs and competitiveness, shipper services and air cargo company demand, and international competition and economic development. This volume provides the researcher with an updated "snapshot" of this international industry and provides governments with strong evidence that the development of an internationally competitive air cargo sector will likely continue to generate significant economic benefits across the globe.

Regulatory reform represents a major shift in the government's role toward price determination in the transportation and telecommunication industries. The resulting policy emphasizes dependence on market forces to set prices and to encourage efficient production techniques. While extensive research investigates the influence of deregulation on prices, profits and productivity, the effect on labor markets has not received the same scrutiny. Firms in these industries are of major importance to business operations in other industries because they provide the critical services of transporting goods and transmitting information. This may partly explain such extensive research on the product market aspects of regulatory reform. Examining labor markets in the transportation and telecommunications industries is also highly warranted, as historically these industries represented some of the most heavily unionized sectors in the economy. The extent to which regulatory reform has encouraged product market competition may not necessarily result in the same degree of competition across industries. Regulatory Reform and Labor Markets debates the notion that research on regulatory reform and labor markets should develop within the framework of the competitive model. This is achieved by presenting diverging views on wage and employment determination in distinctly different deregulated industries.

Using engaging stories and clear writing, HUMANITY: AN INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Eleventh Edition, introduces cultural anthropology within a solid framework centered on globalization and culture change. Peoples and Bailey focus on the social and cultural consequences of globalization, emphasizing culture change and world problems. The book's engaging narrative provides new ways of looking at many of the challenges facing the world in this century. As you explore contemporary issues including recent debates on gay marriage, cultural and economic globalization, population growth, hunger, and the survival of indigenous cultures, you will gain a better understanding of the cultural information you need to successfully navigate in today's global economy. The authors emphasize the diversity of humanity and reveal why an appreciation and tolerance of cultural differences is critical in the modern world.