| United States | Europe | Pacific Asia |
| Deregulation started in 1978 | Deregulation started in 1997 | Regulated markets with government ownership |
| Low population density and dispersed urban centers | High population density and concentrated urban centers | Dispersion of urban centers but high regional concentrations |
| Relatively open air spaces and airports; Concentration of congestion at hubs | Congested air spaces and airports | Congested gateway airports underutilized regional airports |
| Rail minor competitor; Car compete for short distances | High speed rail is a direct competitor; Rail is a minor competitor; Car compete for short distances | Except for Japan, Taiwan and China (High speed rail), less competition from other transportation modes |
| No loyalty to carriers (pricing and frequent flyers) | Some lingering loyalty to carriers | Strong imposed loyalty to carriers |
| Price transparency | Price becoming transparent | Price not transparent |
| Limited income growth and limited leisure | Limited income growth and more leisure time | Growing income levels |
Source: adapted from R. Baseler (2003) “Market Outlook for Air Travel: A Global Perspective”, 2nd Annual MIT Airline Industry – Washington DC Conference.