This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and empirical literature on the regulation of natural monopolies. It covers alternative definitions of natural monopoly, public interest regulatory goals, alternative regulatory institutions, price regulation with full...

The present article contributes to the history of the concept of natural monopoly, focusing on the reconstruction of its origins. The paper considers various facets of natural monopoly: the expression itself; the singling out of the concrete situations to which it is applied; the inquiry into...

A number of studies are taking place to see if there is a viable market for a very large civil aircraft capable of carrying in excess of 600 passengers. The development and launch costs of such an aircraft are very high. Based on indicative costs reported in the press, estimates are derived of...

This article, an introduction to a compedium dedicated to the life of Alfred E. Kahn, reviews his academic research and policy interests and how they evolved, his activities as a regulator and advisor to governments and companies, and the interactions between his real-world experiences and his...

Our introduction to this compendium reviews Alfred Kahn’s academic and policy interests, his activities as a regulator and advisor to governments and companies, and the interactions between these aspects of his life as an economist. Although best known for his research on the economics of...

The federal government should ensure that Canada’s air transportation industry is taxed on a level playing field with other modes of travel, such as bus or rail, and with its international counterparts. The result would be a more internationally competitive airline sector, able to serve...

This article begins by briefly describing the traditional methods of, and reasons for, regulation of the airline industry, both domestically and internationally, and then looks at the reasons and pressures for liberalization, before identifying possible distortions that may arise following...

The major air transport markets at the early part of the 21st century are failing to generate sufficient revenues to cover their long-run costs. Many airline are being supported by subsidies, going out of business (e.g. Sabena, Ansett, Canadian International, Swissair) or having to resort to...

The economic principle of road pricing is that a road toll should equal the marginal cost imposed by an additional user, since this will lead to efficient use of the transport facility. However, when the road is used by traffic both from the road providing region as well as by traffic from...

We propose a new model of simultaneous price competition, based on firms offering personalized prices to consumers. In a market for a homogeneous good and decreasing returns, the unique equilibrium leads to a uniform price equal to the marginal cost of each firm, at their share of the market...