Founded in 1975, the venture let airlines expand their fleets by renting planes.
The issue is likely to grow in importance as airlines expand their lists of possible extras, from seats with more legroom to business-class meals served in coach.
Seeing the airline's logo on the traveller's mobile device serves as a small but constant advertising reminder that the airline exists".As airlines expand their apps' reach, those tactics may become more pronounced.
"We've been saying the real sweet spot for airlines is to enhance passenger experience and monetize at the same time," said Brett Proud, president and chief executive of GuestLogix, a technology company that helps airlines expand revenue sources.
Air travelers, whose plans have already been disrupted by thousands of canceled flights recently, may face continued chaos in coming weeks as the Federal Aviation Administration and the airlines expand their scrutiny of passenger planes.
But this may soon change or so intends India's new civil-aviation minister, Praful Patel, a successful businessman.For years Air India and Indian Airlines, the state-owned and highly bureaucratic international and domestic carriers, have used political clout to stop foreign airlines expanding flights to India and to curb the growth of private-sector internal operators.
The airline expanded rapidly, with a new top-of-the-range aircraft joining the fleet every month.
No longer can traditional competitors hope to stave off this threat to the status quo, as they have been hoping in recent years while the airline expanded threateningly.
The airline expanded through the 1990's by acquiring stakes in Sabena, the unprofitable Belgian airline, LOT Polish Airlines, and South African Airways.
While other European airlines were struggling through the tourism-depressing foot-and-mouth epidemic in Britain and the fallout from the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Ryanair, the Irish-based low-budget airline, expanded aggressively.
