Gerard Arpey — American Businessman born on July 26, 1958,

Gerard J. Arpey is the former Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of AMR Corporation, parent company to American Airlines... (wikipedia)

At American Airlines, we have built a business around the love of travel that has lasted three quarters of a century. And I'm pretty sure we're just getting started.
It is not good thinking - either at the corporate level or at the personal level - to believe you can simply walk away from your circumstances.
We need to take excellent care of our customers, and do so at a profit.
I think in just about any business the low cost competitor is always going to have an advantage.
But I don't think the popularity of flying has diminished a bit.