Owning a business that manufactures parts for airplanes, my husband and I are no strangers to the "bankruptcy" game that is often played by the airline industry. The two latest companies to be grounded are ATA and Aloha Airlines, both greatly effecting the travel to and from Hawaii. Another, Champion Air who has been in operation for 11years is on the way out, stating that they will cease operations as of May 31.

Well, in a nutshell it means that the "Big Guy" gets to stick it to the "Little Guy" once again, and the "friendly skies" really are not all that friendly.

The smaller companies that are the suppliers and manufactures of the airplanes themselves really are the ones to lose in this game of "legal" irresponsibility, because it relieves the airlines from all responsibility to pay for their incurred debt.

The employees of the airlines themselves also are affected as they often lose years of retirement and profit sharing incentives.

The customer loses as they are oft times left stranded, who knows where, and out of luck on a ticket refund.

Who wins? The Airline companies themselves, and I will tell you how.

All three companies have blamed the reason for their demise on the rising jet fuel prices and the stiff competition they received from low cost carriers. ATA also blamed a lost FedEx charter contract as a contributing factor. The sagging economy and tight credit markets were also key contributors influencing them to make the decision to close their doors.

In 2006, ATA just barely had emerged from the protection of a previous bankruptcy claim and yet, just two years later, have announced they are again throwing in the towel. This time the bankruptcy claim will put 2,200 employees out of a job.

They are a subsidiary of the larger aircraft industry organization, Global Aero Logistics, who in 2007 made a merger acquiring World Air Holdings. Global Aero Logistics now is the umbrella company for three independent airlines, ATA Airlines, World Airways, and North American Airlines. One is down, two to go? Not on your life!

The Honolulu based Aloha Airlines had been in operation since 1946 and was the second largest carrier from Hawaii.

"We simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for our passenger business," said Aloha President David Banmiller. "We had no choice but to take this action."

Aloha Airlines operated a fleet of 26 Boeing 737s, serving five airports in Hawaii and six destinations in the continental United States. The closure of this company will cause 3,500 employees to be out of a job. But financial insecurity is not new to Aloha Airlines; they have been in Chapter 11 before, only being cleared in February of 2006. I guess it is just one more round in the game!

Hawaiian Airlines have swooped down from the sky to take up the slack of the displaced Aloha ticket holders, offering open seats on its regularly scheduled flights and even making available emergency flights for stranded passengers.

"We are maximizing our aircraft and resources to keep inter-island travel and cargo moving. Hawaiian can accommodate all of Aloha's traffic. As Hawaii's flagside carrier, we recognize our special responsibility to serve the people of these islands," Dunkerley said in the wake of Aloha's bankruptcy.

Interestingly enough Hawaiian was also the recipient of bankruptcy protection when they filed for chapter 11 in 2003, only emerging themselves in June 2005.

Before you think of Hawaiian as the "saints of the sky", it is interesting to note that a corporation called Mesa Air Group launched a new low fare inter-island service called go! in June of 2006, adding to the competition in flight services and contributing to the demise of Aloha. They, like Hawaiian, have upped their services increasing their daily flights to 94 from the 54 flights they were making, in the wake of Aloha's shutdown.

Even with this increase in business Mesa Air Group is claiming a fiscal loss, I wonder if bankruptcy is in their future too?

In the length of time we have owned our manufacturing business, Continental Airlines has pulled the bankruptcy stunt three times. In fact they were so kind as to issue us worthless stock in lieu of payment for the goods they received. That paper lined the trash cans beautifully.

Southwest has recently been slapped with a maintenance order shutting down all of their planes until they have been inspected. This is costly to say the least. American has had to follow suit, pulling all of their MD80's until further inspection and maintenance standards are complied with. Aloha Airlines purchased only "used" planes, so they were probably next on the hit list for maintenance requirement standards and just couldn't take the cost expenditure along with its other debts that it had incurred. So what better way to get out from underneath the pressure? File bankruptcy... the cure all.

What is the answer for the little guy in this game of "Russian Roulette"? COD

Well, it looks like they are literally "dropping like flies"! After only one year in the airline industry, Skybus announced that it too will file bankruptcy. Rising fuel prices have also been blamed for their decision to persue this course.