--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Running an airline is like having a baby…" description: "\"Running an airline is like having a baby: fun to conceive, but hell to deliver.\" — Collett E. Woolman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/collett-e-woolman-228996_airline_running-an-airline-is-like-having-a-baby_3127520.png" --- # Running an airline is like having a baby: fun to conceive… ![“Running an airline is like having a baby: fun to conceive, but hell to deliver.” quote by Collett E. Woolman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/collett-e-woolman-228996_airline_running-an-airline-is-like-having-a-baby_3127520.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/collett-e-woolman-228996_airline_running-an-airline-is-like-having-a-baby_3127520.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/collett-e-woolman-228996_airline_running-an-airline-is-like-having-a-baby_3127520.png) > “Running an airline is like having a baby: fun to conceive, but hell to deliver.” [Collett E. Woolman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collett-e-woolman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Running an airline is complex: planning is enjoyable, execution is fraught with challenges. **In simple terms:** Airline business is fun to start but hard to operate. Key Takeaway Prepare for operational difficulties early. Themes complexity risk management logistics growth Mood cautionary realistic pragmatic Type Airline:1 Airline business:1 Aviation:1 Baby:0 Fun:0 Having a baby:0 Hell:0 Running:0 Running Airline:0 Airline Like:0 Fun Conceive:0 Conceive Hell:0 When to use this quote - startup phase - fleet expansion - regulatory compliance - customer service crises Key Concepts systems thinking risk assessment service delivery Questions to Reflect On - What hidden challenges do you anticipate? - How will you mitigate operational risks? A Different Perspective Neglecting operational detail can lead to failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Airline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airline/) [Airline business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airline-business/) [Airline Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airline-like-4570765/) [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aviation/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Conceive Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceive-hell-5517474/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Fun Conceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun-conceive-5517473/) [Having a baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-a-baby/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Running Airline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-airline-1203813/) ## Related quotes > [Running an airline is a normal job. Racing is more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-lauda/running-an-airline-is-a-normal-job-racing-is-more/) [Niki Lauda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-lauda/) > [Running an airline is the most difficult job in the world. Racing was more dangerous for my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-lauda/running-an-airline-is-the-most-difficult-job-in-the-world-racing-was/) [Niki Lauda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-lauda/) > [So I've seen life as one long learning process. And if I see - you know, if I fly on somebody else's airline and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/so-i-ve-seen-life-as-one-long-learning-process-and-if-i-see-you-know/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [In the '80's my gut feeling was that airlines were crap. I hated spending time on planes. I thought we could create the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/in-the-80-s-my-gut-feeling-was-that-airlines-were-crap-i-hated/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [ And ever since then \[I\] have set up businesses basically out of frustration. I mean, I set up Virgin Atlantic with one second-hand 747… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/and-ever-since-then-i-have-set-up-businesses-basically-out-of/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [A recession is when you have to tighten your belt; depression is when you have no belt to tighten. When you've lost your trousers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-thomson/a-recession-is-when-you-have-to-tighten-your-belt-depression-is-when/) [Adam Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-thomson/) > [The airline business is it is mostly run by a bunch of spineless nincompoops who actually don't want to stand up to the environmentalists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/the-airline-business-is-it-is-mostly-run-by-a-bunch-of-spineless/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [It's not a testosterone-driven industry any longer. Success is making money, not in the size of the airline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bethune/it-s-not-a-testosterone-driven-industry-any-longer-success-is-making/) [Gordon Bethune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bethune/) > [The airline business is the biggest team sport in the world. When you're all consumed with fighting among yourselves, your opponents can run over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bethune/the-airline-business-is-the-biggest-team-sport-in-the-world-when-you/) [Gordon Bethune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bethune/) > [Once you get hooked on the airline business, it's worse than dope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-acker/once-you-get-hooked-on-the-airline-business-it-s-worse-than-dope/) [Ed Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-acker/) > [There has always been a certain romanticism associated with the airline business. We must avoid its perpetuation at Eastern at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-borman/there-has-always-been-a-certain-romanticism-associated-with-the/) [Frank Borman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-borman/) > [These days no one can make money on the goddamn airline business. The economics represent sheer hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-r-smith/these-days-no-one-can-make-money-on-the-goddamn-airline-business-the/) [C. R. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-r-smith/) > [A lot of people came into the airline business. Most of them promptly exited, minus their money,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crandall/a-lot-of-people-came-into-the-airline-business-most-of-them-promptly/) [Robert Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crandall/) > [The airline industry is full of bullshitters, liars and drunks. We excel at all three in Ireland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/the-airline-industry-is-full-of-bullshitters-liars-and-drunks-we/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [If the Wright brother were alive today Wilbur would have to fire Orville to reduce costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/if-the-wright-brother-were-alive-today-wilbur-would-have-to-fire/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) ## More Airline quotes > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [Juan Tripp was a friend. Good name for an airline man, huh? Juan Tripp after another?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-wray/juan-tripp-was-a-friend-good-name-for-an-airline-man-huh-juan-tripp/) [Fay Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-wray/) > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If the Wright brother were alive today Wilbur would have to fire Orville to reduce costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/if-the-wright-brother-were-alive-today-wilbur-would-have-to-fire/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) > [Hart is still like that little tub of vaguely milklike gunk that comes with airline coffee. It is labeled a "nondairy" product. Fine: we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/hart-is-still-like-that-little-tub-of-vaguely-milklike-gunk-that/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [Be Luke Skywalker, not Darth Vader. Ultimately love is stronger than evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-burr/be-luke-skywalker-not-darth-vader-ultimately-love-is-stronger-than/) [Don Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-burr/) > [As a businessman, Frank Lorenzo gives capitalism a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/as-a-businessman-frank-lorenzo-gives-capitalism-a-bad-name/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [I have an 800 freephone number now that I call if I get the urge to buy an airline stock. I call at two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-have-an-800-freephone-number-now-that-i-call-if-i-get-the-urge-to/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I don't mind flying. I always pass out before the plane leaves the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-campbell/i-don-t-mind-flying-i-always-pass-out-before-the-plane-leaves-the/) [Naomi Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-campbell/) > [Can a physicist visualize an electron? The electron is materially inconceivable and yet, it is so perfectly known through its effects that we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wernher-von-braun/can-a-physicist-visualize-an-electron-the-electron-is-materially/) [Wernher von Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wernher-von-braun/) > [Funny, isn't it? The airlines go to all that trouble to keep you from taking a gun on board, then they just hand you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/funny-isn-t-it-the-airlines-go-to-all-that-trouble-to-keep-you-from/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Any serious airline has to look at a worldwide network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-mallya/any-serious-airline-has-to-look-at-a-worldwide-network/) [Vijay Mallya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-mallya/) > [Running an airline is a normal job. Racing is more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-lauda/running-an-airline-is-a-normal-job-racing-is-more/) [Niki Lauda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-lauda/) > [Those were my children being slaughtered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-burr/those-were-my-children-being-slaughtered/) [Don Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-burr/) > [I came from the music business, which reputedly has the biggest egos, but I really think the airline world caps it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-fernandes/i-came-from-the-music-business-which-reputedly-has-the-biggest-egos/) [Tony Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-fernandes/) [Browse all 342 Airline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Running an airline is like having a baby: fun to conceive, but hell to deliver.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Collett E. 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