The Volokh Conspiracy: "Economist Alfred Kahn died this week at 93. Kahn had a remakrable career as an academic, administrator, and government official. A noted regulatory scholar, he served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell and Chairman of the New York Public Service Commission. In 1977, President Carter tapped Kahn to chair the Civil Aeronautics Board where he had a profound effect on the shape of the airline industry. Though a liberal Democrat, Kahn oversaw deregulation of the airline industry and championed reforms that eventually shuttered the CAB.
Though air travel is often no picnic, and the industry is more turbulent than it was in the days of price regulation, it’s much cheaper thanks to Kahn’s efforts. By some estimates, airline deregulation saves consumers as much as $20 billion per year and helped democratize air travel. Airfares have climbed of late but, as this WSJ editorial notes, “fares are still lower today in real terms than they were in the 1970s.”"
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