Bankruptcy fatigue sets in for carriers, passengers

Some airline passengers are growing weary of big airlines filing for bankruptcy. Since 1978, almost two-thirds of the major carriers have filed at least once, and three did not survive. For their part, the carriers are tired of the forces that have forced them to file for court protection. "Actually, what we've grown weary of are the record-high fuel costs that have masked any of the gains we've made in efficiency," said Air Transport Association spokesman Jack Evans.et If fuel prices had remained where they were at the beginning of 2004, "it would be a completely different ballgame, " he noted.   The New York Times