Prior to this, 9/11 was the measure of worse case scenario and there was money in place to ride that out. This absolutely dwarfs 9/11. Not many people are in a position to take a COLA, and voluntary reduction lines, early retirements, etc, still fall far short of providing the needed savings. This has grown into something with no easy way out. Thousands of legacy and regional pilots are going to be out of work, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. We really can’t even slow it down. Hourly ground employees who don't have the high training expense of furlough and recall are going to be hit especially hard in October. There are going to be massive displacement bids at every company. United just put out a bid that displaces 1/3 of the list. The regionals are going to feel the pain too. I’m not trying to preach doom and gloom, but the big 3 have all said that we will emerge much smaller and that recovery will take years. United was planning for demand to be down 30% by year end, now they’re praying that it is that good. My guess is that the legal departments at the various airlines have a much better view than we do of what is allowed, and what is not. Embrace the suck, it’s going to get worse before it gets better, but it will get better.

 

Does any rational person think tax payers are going to save ALL the airlines?
I think of this as a quasi unemployment payout. This and every business out there will be lining up for their portion of treasury gifting

 

the government will find the airlines bun any means necessary. They are essential to homeland security and the department of defense. Not the regionals I’m talking about the big three. There is some kind of civilian air service or something like that that basically says that the airlines can convert planes for military use and crew them

 

The big three can slash their fleet to meet demand, survive, and then rebuild when this is over. We have most likely been given our allotment of government cheese. From here on out the industry adapts to the market. Some will survive, some won’t, but air travel, at a level that maintains essential service or homeland security, will survive without further aid. The industry will survive, it may not include the company that a person works for though.

 

We saw what happened with Amtrack - IMO it would be cheaper to do this with airlines. Mass transit in municipalities is not private to my knowledge.
Can't really argue that airlines are "free enterprise" when it's the most regulated industry in history. The "utility" argument is valid.
Nevertheless - I'm speculating that 1 trunk carrier like DAL will be funded and redundant svc be eliminated and certainly SWA. The LCC's will remain but 3 large carriers is too much to be expected.

 

Regionals are critical to homeland security and DOD. We fly to more airports than any of the big three.

 

At least one other airline exec sees this for what it is.
AA CEO Calling Kirby Out

 

Well, well, it looks like United is making the reduction in ground support staff's hours "optional" now. I wonder if they didn't like the heat from the Sentor's office or they just decided to do it out of the goodness in their hearts!

https://news.yahoo.com/united-airlin...-sh&soc_trk=ma

 

Has there been an official statement regarding XJT getting any of the government cheese? Grant, loan, both, neither? All that I have found is old reports saying that they are having discussions with the govt.

 

^THIS^
I cannot understand why this is so hard for people to understand,