I feel like even civilian airlines have some national defense / security aspect to them since they’re so critical to our infrastructure (e.g. troop transports). I don’t want to return to the days before deregulation, but I think there should be federally enforced rules around remaining operational even during times of severe economic crisis.
That being said, nobody expects a 100 year event, and it would be irresponsible to ask shareholders to offer $100 plane tickets that don’t likely don’t even cover the cost of a seat while also maintaining an emergency budget. I’ve heard airlines have razor thin margins for at least economy class seats, and I’d rather support a one time bailout than have to pay business fare going forward.
SARS wasn't a massive global catastrophe, just like almost all flu epidemics aren't massive global catastrophes but for the opposite reason: it was too deadly, which limited its ability to spread and made it relatively easy to eradicate through contact tracing and testing. This kind of pandemic really does seem to be a 100-year event that requires a disease with a very special set of properties.
The planes, airports, pilots and ground vrews are still there. Maybe unemployed, but the infrastructure doesn't simply disapear. So any government could always just step in and requirate them. If airlines would operate as effeciently is a different story. But that is basically what the German government has in the books for all civilian trucks if, you know, the Russiians would have attacked.
But I gree it would be best to keep these operations in civilian hands, all processes and tools are already there to move people and goods around.
That being said, nobody expects a 100 year event, and it would be irresponsible to ask shareholders to offer $100 plane tickets that don’t likely don’t even cover the cost of a seat while also maintaining an emergency budget. I’ve heard airlines have razor thin margins for at least economy class seats, and I’d rather support a one time bailout than have to pay business fare going forward.