In the annals of progressive thought, there was a fleeting moment when Ted Kennedy, Ralph Nader, and other left-wing icons sang the praises of unfettered free-market capitalism. This happened with the passage of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act during Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

The recent passing of Alfred E. Kahn is a reminder of that remarkable moment — when leaders on both sides of the political and ideological spectrum agreed to deregulate the U.S. airline industry. In 1977, incoming President Carter appointed the flamboyant and outspoken Kahn as chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board, the agency responsible for setting airline routes, schedules and fares. Kahn set out on a mission of writing himself and his agency out of a job — opening the industry to real competition for the first time. Kahn gave airlines the freedom to enter (and exit) domestic markets and to price as they pleased. He also allowed new low-cost, low-fare airlines to challenge the incumbents.
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