It is a dirty little secret of the U.S. airline industry that over the decades, profits never have exceeded losses for very long.

Given the calamitous developments of the 21st century – the grounding of the industry after Sept. 11, 2001, horrible management and soaring fuel prices – it is likely that the industry will never return to the black.

Even the darling of the industry, Southwest Airlines, is seeking its chickens come home to roost.

The Texas-based airline has been fined, forced to ground its planes and caught cozying up to some Bush Administration officials at the Federal Aviation Administration.

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