This paper analyses airlines' efficiency and productivity using two different methodologies: data envelopment analysis and total factor productivity, and we additionally investigate which factors account for differences in efficiency. Our main findings show that low cost carriers are in general more efficient than full service carriers, efficiency and the dispersion of both data envelopment analysis and total factor productivity indexes amongst airlines differ according to geographical areas, which may be a result of different legislation and de-regulation processes, and so of specific competitive conditions, labour is the only input that definitively influences productivity, and larger airlines are more efficient, suggesting the existence of economies of scale.

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We propose an endogenous growth model with new political economy elements in order to (1) examine how political incentives affect economic allocations and (2) study the effects of political rivalry on human capital accumulation and income inequality. Focusing on two important policies affecting economic performance—fiscal policy and public investments in human capital accumulation—we find that different political incentives have distinct effects on policies and economic allocations. We also find that political rivalry increases income inequality and reduces economic growth and human capital accumulation through its negative impact on public investments in education, wages and individual learning choice.

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