USA TODAY US Edition

Starting an airline company is complicate­d and expensive

- John Cox John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start an airline company? And how much would it cost?

– hala.alsuwaiket, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Starting an airline is very, very, very expensive. The barriers to entry are many, including FAA certificat­ion, training, acquisitio­n of equipment, obtaining gates, and the largest one: obtaining financing.

Finding the right experience­d leadership is a challenge but is essential. Airline operations are very complex, so the leaders need experience to be effective.

While, there is a lot of cash revenue, the final profit margins are lower than many other businesses.

The likelihood of success is small. Most startup airlines fail. Some regional airlines have succeeded because they were able to secure contract to fly for legacy airlines very early in their life.

There is no way I can provide an estimated cost. There are too many variables, but whatever the business plan estimates the cost will be, I would add at least 50% to it as padding.

Can an airplane make an emergency landing without its tail wings? – CooliBro20­10, U.S.

The “tail wings” are known as horizontal stabilizer­s.

The loss of the horizontal stabilizer­s would result in an severe aerodynami­c unbalance. They provide downward lift to balance the wing, producing lift. Loss of the horizontal stabilizer would result in the aft (rear) part of the airplane tumbling forward, causing forces that would break the fuselage apart.

 ?? BIM/GETTY IMAGES ?? Horizontal stabilizer­s, placed on either side of a plane’s tail, provide downward lift to balance the wing, producing lift.
BIM/GETTY IMAGES Horizontal stabilizer­s, placed on either side of a plane’s tail, provide downward lift to balance the wing, producing lift.

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