Local airline Midwest Airlines, like other carriers around the world, has fallen on serious hard times. In Midwest's case, it's had to renegotiate its debt payments in order to stay in business.

Many people expected that airlines would suffer some tough setbacks after September 11, 2001. However, what reason do we have to believe that the airlines will rebound and reap profits in the future?

In the States, roads, buses, and trains are all subsidized by taxpayers. Airline travel remains the only mode of transportation that is expected to maintain a profit. If things don't change soon and some of these major airlines fail, government run airlines may be on the horizon.