Any excuse that works will get used. Carty knows AA is too big, but it's a big pill to swallow in order to admit it. A good and valid excuse has to be found to shrink AA back down to pre-TWA-Gobble-Up size. The investor's buzz is, he needs to find a way to shed 30,000 employees and 200 planes permanently in order to get that profit line to climb again.
If the war doesn't happen (and there are too many on the hill against it right now) then AA will have no choice but to file chapter 11.
Shame on the board of directors for not cleaning out the top brass 12 months ago, and shame on the major stock holders for not forcing them to do it.
To the current executive level, there is nothing more important than being able to say they are the worlds biggest airline. The problem is, they haven't quite figured out a way to shed massive amounts of head count and still be able to say it when it's over.
The kicker is, the airlines use threats of bankruptcy to pressure the unions. give us these concessions and we won't file bankruptcy and then when the get the concessions, they go and file anyway.
I'll be damned if history doesn't just keep repeating itself, especially in the airline/transportation industry.