Passenger volume in the airline

Answer choices

1. A

   Unclear Impact1% picked this

   It is generally more difficult to finance major construction projects when the economy is in

   This says that it's easier to finance major construction when the economy isn't in a period of decline. So maybe the airports are doing their terminal expansions now because the economy isn't in decline, whereas five years from now the economy will be in decline? That's a potential way to explain their decision, but we have no idea whether the economy is currently in decline or will be in five years.

   1%
2. B

   Correct90% picked this

   Low volume in passenger air travel permits airport expansion with relatively little inconvenience

   Why this is right

   This is saying that if they do airport expansion now, while there's low volume in air travel, then it will cause little inconvenience to the public. Meanwhile, if they waited to do the expansion until passenger volume was normal or high, they would be inconveniencing the public. This offers a clear difference between doing the expansion now vs. doing it later once passenger volume is higher, and we can use our common sense to know that an airport would be happy about minimizing the inconvenience the expansion causes to the public.

   Skill tested: Paradox · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   90%
3. C

   Deepens Paradox, if anything1% picked this

   A rise in fuel costs that is expected in the near future will drive up the cost of all forms

   This suggests that in the near future, airline travel will be more expensive. That suggests that fewer people will fly, which suggests that it could be even longer than five years before passenger volume is at a normal or high level again. Thus, this answer makes us even more confused about why the airports would expand now. Expansion is about handling increasing passenger volume, and it sounds like they might not have increased passenger volume for quite a while.

   1%
4. D

   No Impact: new routes / planes6% picked this

   When passenger volume begins to grow again after a period of decline, most airlines can, initially, absorb the increase without adding

   This is saying that when passenger volume resumes normalcy again (in about five years) after this current decline in volume, most airlines won't have to add new routes or new planes. If they don't have to add new planes, then there's less need to expand the airport? Thus, it sounds like there's no urgent need to expand. So we're still left confused about why the airports are choosing to expand now.

   6%
5. E

   No Impact / Deepens Paradox, if anything3% picked this

   A sustained decline in passenger travel could lead to the failure of many airlines and the absorption of their routes

   This answer doesn't give any reason to expand the airport now. It sounds like if this current decline in volume persists, then some airlines may go out of business. The fewer the airlines at a given airport, the less big it needs to be (one would assume). So the possibility of fewer airlines seems to lean towards LESS need to expand the airport, which just deepens the paradox of why the airports would do that now.

   3%