1. Based in Greater Miami, Florida, Manuel Rivero, Jr., possesses more than two decades of accounting
and business management experience as an aviation industry consultant. As managing director and vice
president of Airstream Services Corporation, Manuel Rivero, Jr., leads a team responsible for advising
airlines industry companies on surpassing customer expectations and increasing bottom-line growth.
An indicator of the return to profitability for domestic airlines may be the industry’s current jet-buying
spree. Airliners around the world purchased in excess of 8,200 new planes from Airbus SAS and
Boeing Co. in the past half decade. The majority of these new planes replaced gas-guzzling older
models that frequently required costly maintenance; however, airlines report low interest rates and
increased access to capital as factors, too. Because of the upswing, manufacturers are producing 24
planes a week, up from 11 planes built per week in the early 2000s.
The bulk of new planes have been going to rapidly expanding airlines in India and elsewhere in Asia,
though US carriers are also buying. In 2013, domestic airlines spent more than $11 billion on capital
improvements; that number includes new jet purchases. In 2010, domestic airlines spent approximately
$5 billion on capital projects.