Competition among airlines has opened up the market to hundred of millions of air travellers, Sir Michael Bishop, chairman of bmi, said.
Sir Michael was speaking on the 20th anniversary of his carrier's first flight from London to Amsterdam.
It was bmi's first major European route and the first time an independent airline had been allowed to compete with two national carriers on such a route.
Sir Michael told a ceremony to mark the anniversary: "Recent events in the UK and the US highlight the importance of transparency in competition in air travel.
"The consumer will always be the loser if fares are influenced or set by any forces other than a free and deregulated market.
"bmi does not claim to have led the process of European deregulation over the last two decades.
"However, we were one of the main protagonists of a drive that led to an increase in choice, value and service for air travellers during the 1980s and 1990s.
"Today, air travel is a natural part of the daily lives of millions of people. Flight 101 (the original flight) can be seen as the catalyst for that massive change.
"In 1986, only 75 million people travelled through Britain's airports. Last year, more than three times that number did so. It is a simple example of the benefits of choice and competition."
CWT opens new offices in Germany
Travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel has opened new offices in two southern German cities, Karlsruhe and Ulm.
Martina Eggler, vp sales and account management, marketing Central and Eastern Europe, said she was pleased with the new openings which showed that despite the online "euphoria", a local presence in cities should not be neglected.
* see new jobs on BTE's recruitment site www.businesstraveljobs.com