In response to years of increasing congestion at airport X, the govern

Hi raghupara,

Right now, no one from continent B is getting the links from airport Y. Choice (D) suggests that more customers would start flying if flights from B were to be diverted to Y instead of those from A. However, the airlines' conclusion isn't that "this plan costs us potential new customers" or "this plan isn't the most efficient way to increase business." Rather, the conclusion is specifically that the plan will cost existing business. If (D) is true, people from B will face the exact same inconvenience before and after the plan is implemented, so this doesn't strengthen the idea that the plan is harmful.

Hope this helps!

Conclusion - Re-distributing the traffic to another Airport ie to Y will result in lost business for several Airlines.

Have to find a statement that strengthens the conclusion

(A) The airlines’ customers prefer less congested airports. - It is not certain which airport would be congested and what customer needs are - Irrelevant - Incorrect
(B) It takes five minutes more flying time to reach the second airport. - Does not prove anything - Incorrect
(C) There are fewer runways, and thus less capacity, at airport Y. - Having less capacity would not automatically result in lost business - Incorrect
(D) Airport Y is located in a region with better transport links to the final destinations of many travelers from continent B. - The business would increase because of this. - Incorrect
(E) Many customers traveling between continent A and continent B choose certain airlines because of the easy flight connections they offer at airport X. - Precisely provides the link how the airlines would be losing business - Correct

My 2 cents...

In response to years of increasing congestion at airport X, the government decided to redistribute landing slots.
Henceforth, all international flights arriving from continent A would be rerouted to nearby airport Y, all flights arriving from continent B would continue to land at airport X.

Conclusion:
Several airlines opposed this measure on the grounds that it would result in lost business.

D Vs E:
D. Airport Y is located in a region with better transport links to the final destinations of many travelers from continent B.
>> Things were not changed for B. So (D) persisted even before the changes were applied and hence it does little to help us in justifying/strengthening the conclusion.

E. Many customers traveling between continent A and continent B choose certain airlines because of the easy flight connections they offer at airport X.
>>Now this says that many people used X because of the convenience to switch the flight between A & B. Something that would be hampered/affected due to the new changes. Correct.

Rest of options:
A. The airlines’ customers prefer less congested airports.
>> Doesnt help in justifying the conclusion.
B. It takes five minutes more flying time to reach the second airport.
>> We dont know if 5 min is on higher side or something that is acceptable.
C. There are fewer runways, and thus less capacity, at airport Y.
>>May be sufficient for the airlines that have been transferred there. Dont have much detail to evaluate it.

IMO, E should be correct. Here's the reasoning:

I am a traveler form continent A. I need to fly to continent B. I usually choose say, 'GoFly' airways.

What happens now-
I take a GoFly flight and reach airport X, and from there, 'GoFly' offers many convenient connecting flights to Continent B. Overall, a smooth journey. At the end- I love GoFly and will definitely come back!

What will happen after the change-
I will take a GoFly plane to reach airport Y, and i will have to struggle for connecting flights because GoFly does not provide connecting flights from there. Either i will have to wait for hours or will have to take a cab to airport X and take a flight from there. Overall a painful journey. At the end- I hate GoFly and will not choose it again!

As a result, business lost for GoFly.

Does this make sense?

Please let me know if im wrong

ANSWER IS (E)

WHY?
The airlines are mad that they will LOSE BUSINESS. Let's LOOK for an answer that means the airlines will LOSE BUSINESS AS A RESULT OF THIS CHANGE, NOT NECESSARILY INCREASE COSTS. THAT WOULD BE A WHOLE SEPARATE QUESTION.

A - The airlines’ customers prefer less congested airports.. Sure, the customers prefer it, but all flyers from continent B are in the same boat as they were before, so we have to assume they wouldn't care. All flyers from continent A don't have a choice but to go to airport Y...Are they going to now travel by boat just because the new airport is a 30 minute drive from the old one? NO. REMEMBER: These people are coming from another CONTINENT, on LONG FLIGHTS. WRONG ANSWER.

B - It takes five minutes more flying time to reach the second airport. Again, like A, are flyers really going to care about a 5 minute flight difference on their 8+ hour airline flight? NO. WRONG ANSWER.

C - There are fewer runways, and thus less capacity, at airport Y.POSSIBLY. If airlines are forced to land their planes at Airport Y, but there are few customers there flying out of Airport Y, then planes will leave with many empty seats. If X was the HUB airport, and now airlines are forced to switched to Y, flyers will need to become aware of the switch. The airlines aren't going to have all the same customers flocking to airport Y as they had flocking to airport X. HOWEVER, the airlines could always fly their jets from within the continent over to airport X. Though this would INCREASE COSTS, it WOULD NOT NECESSARILY REDUCE BUSINESS. REMEMBER, the question asks about reduced BUSINESS. WRONG ANSWER.

D - Airport Y is located in a region with better transport links to the final destinations of many travelers from continent B.No effect on business. People aren't going to choose to travel by plane instead of boat or car just because the better transport links. This is just a perk for travelers coming from continent AWRONG ANSWER.

E - Many customers traveling between continent A and continent B choose certain airlines because of the easy flight connections they offer at airport X.The governmental switch affects ALL AIRLINES from CONTINENT A, not just SOME. SO, ALL TRAVELERS from Continent A are FORCED to deal with the switch. Again, people aren't going to hop on a train with their family now because of the switch. Besides, travelers still have the option to fly DIRECTLY from continent A to continent B, BUT THAT WOULD affect the companies' business, as this could increase COSTS OF FLYING TO THE CONSUMER (THINK: NONSTOP ALWAYS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN 1+ STOPS)KEEP IT.

IMO if the question was to justify Government's conclusion then answer would've been A. But for airline's conclusion, it is E.
Do we have an Expert's answer on this?

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