Airlines prepare for fewer passengers

[bfez1]

War-related drop in air travel expected to hurt already-ailing industry

CHICAGO, March 19 — Airlines around the world suspended some flights, re-routed others and swapped in smaller planes on Wednesday in anticipation of a sharp decline in passengers during an Iraq war. The degree of flight and cost-cutting varied from region to region, with executives waiting for solid indications of the war’s intensity and duration before making further adjustments.