Page 94 - Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

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K NOW W HEN TO C UT Y OUR L OSSES

Amtrak as well as to the Pan Am Shuttle. In addition, we were
entering into a recession, and then in 1990, jet fuel prices sky-
rocketed due to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. If it wasn’t one
thing, it was another. It’s such a delicate business that the
slightest tremor in world politics, economics, labor, or the
weather—and a hundred other variables—can make a bright
future suddenly tumble.
As you know, I was having some financial problems around
this time that would begin to escalate, not diminish, due to the
recession that had hit. My total demise was predicted in 1991
by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. I had several
big things falter, but this wasn’t 1991 yet, it was 1990. I was
sure Trump Shuttle would take off and avoid the recession. I
was wrong. Trump Shuttle never turned a proper profit, and as
my other business interests started to fail, my creditors were
less than enthusiastic about my latest venture. In September of
1990, the ownership of the airline went to Citicorp, the air-
line’s creditor bank. It’s a complicated story, but to make it
short, Trump Shuttle finally ended as such in April of 1992,
and it was merged into a new corporation, which US Airways
bought.
I have to admit I was relieved to be out of that business.
The timing wasn’t right, but as I’ve watched the airline indus-
try, I wonder if the timing is ever right. Making a profit isn’t
easy, and it’s a demanding and volatile business. That’s why I
find it hard to believe that Richard Branson, the owner of Vir-
gin Air, has made any money at all with his airline. Fortunately
he has other businesses, or I don’t think he’d be where he is
today financially.
In the instance of Trump Shuttle, I know I did what was
right to make it a successful and desirable business. I made the
experience better for the traveler and introduced some innova-
tions. It didn’t matter—the outside forces were too great. It’s
one of those instances when you know the best decision is the

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