The consequences of failure in the airline industry I think have far more repercussions than in any other business. I agree with a lot of what Mr. Gaspar said, but one of the things I disagree with is that we want to be treated like any other business. Well, I'm sorry, airlines are not like any other business. They are not like shoe stores and delicatessens. They do have the same obligation to try to meet their operating expenses from revenues, but they are an important public service in a nation that in many respects depends on airlines.
What we would like is an approach that recognizes that it's an important public service. There is imperfect competition in different areas. There is competition in certain city pairs that's not in others. It represents circumstances of incredible vulnerability to consumers in different circumstances of airline travel, particularly with the recent emphasis on public safety on aircraft and in airports.
We need an approach that allows customers to buy their ticket, knowing that at least their investment in their ticket is safe, that if the airline doesn't fly, they will be compensated; that the government is ensuring that the airlines are meeting standards, not only in safety but in financial performance and in other kinds of service, in our posting service performance criteria that allow them to judge what kind of airline they want to fly on.