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Just a quick question. With news of troops being pulled out of Iraq, does this mean business will slow for most charter airlines like NAA/Omni/World? Obviously these aren't the only flights they operate but war is business, and it seems to me that with troops coming home, there may not be a need for as many flights, and in turn not a need for as many charter airlines...can anyone shed some light on this?
There is still going to be a significant presence of US troops in Iraq, but they will be focused more on peace-keeping and rebuilding efforts, not combat. That said, there are also a large number of US troops throughout the region, and they will all need to be rotated home and replaced from time to time.
Military flights are decreasing slightly, but keep in mind that there are still a tremendous amount of "non-combat" personnel being kept in country. That, coupled with the fact that there are deployments at bases all over the world whether there is a war going on or not, means troops are always being moved.
Many charter airlines look to do other things to keep their business diverse. Some will pick up their cargo operations, while other will dedicate more of their passenger fleet to private charter or airline subservice. As we see now, NAA is doing full summer program for both Air Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines, even though the military work is keeping busy.
I, as many know, work in that aspect of the airline industry, so I see a lot of this first hand. Some things I can't really share, but I like to shed light on the business-side when I can. So ask questions and I'll answer whatever I'm able.