But he was confident that the airline would survive.

Those airlines that get their labor costs down to competitive levels will survive.

"No airline except American could survive any sustained drop in ridership," the official said.

However the airline did not survive the war and was disbanded.

But his gut feeling was that the airline would survive it.

But they had, of course, continued on as long as the airlines survived.

By 1989 only 27 airlines survived, and the top 12 controlled 97 per cent of the market.

"That trip reminded us of why we travel, and why the airlines, despite themselves, will survive," she said.

As such, many analysts think that the airline can easily survive any short-term downturn.

The airline was nearly out of cash and survived only by securing the first government loan guarantee.