A nonlinear multivariate error components analysis of technology and specific factor productivity growth with an application to the U.S. Airlines

This study outlines a nonlinear model of technology and specific factor productivity growth and uses the model to analyze a new panel of sixteen domestic carriers in the U.S. airline industry over 35 quarters from 1970.I to 1978.III. We outline mapping procedures which allow construction of the production surfaces implied by the translog cost function used in our analysis. To our knowledge this study is the first to estimate such a general nonlinear multivariate error components model using full-information maximum likelihood.