Falcon Airlines was one of America’s highest-flying carriers. Airline deregulation changed the industry’s flight plan by ending years of government protection and ushering in the harsh realities of competition. Now, under siege from lower-cost and more nimble airlines, Falcon is faced with the most turbulent era in its history – one that will ultimately bring down the mighty airline and upend the lives of its 40,000 employees.
Death of the Falcon chronicles the company’s epic struggles – the boardroom battles, union hall tussles and labor strikes – in its final years. Based on a true story, this fictionalized account goes behind locked doors to reveal the larger-than-life personalities who leave their mark: bankers eager to cut their losses, takeover artists angling for a fire sale, union leaders trying to maintain cushy benefits and managers desperately trying for a soft landing. Caught up in the strikes and plotting are Captain Andrew Logan and flight attendant Ellen Lancaster, two long-time employees whose devotion to their airline is matched by their love for each other. It’s a remarkably personal story set amid the cold realities of market reorganization and staggering financial losses.
Culminating in the company’s chaotic last hours when old alliances falter, the book shows a death of a thousand cuts from dynamics still in play today as America’s carriers vie for survival in our increasingly competitive world.
Written by a former airline pilot who lived through the tumultuous period following airline deregulation in 1978, Death of the Falcon is a powerful love story, riveting business study and unforgettable history of the emerging modern airline industry. It’s also chock full of airline facts and insider insight into one of the world’s least understood industries.