Well yes, no and maybe ? Here's an interesting philosophical / moral question. Why bail them out and pay lucrative redundancy packages wherein some long serving pilots and management on $400K plus might be eligible for many hundreds of thousands, or perhaps in some cases $1m+
each in redundancy payments ? Why should hard working ordinary Kiwi's on modest money who pay their taxes give those guys a massive golden handshake and comfortable retirement ? Shouldn't these fat cats have their own retirement plans sorted out already ?
It might cost billions to keep them going for just one year with their bloated cost structure. Who's to say this virus is completely behind us one year from now ?
Why not just let the airline fail and start fresh which a massive clean out of the bloated cost structure and buy the assets off the receivers ? Receivers would continue to trade the company and the only buyer is the Govt who effectively nationalise the airline. That's the only way to properly clean out all the dead and old wood with its massive sense of entitlement mentality that's deeply ingrained in the culture of this company.
Under a new structure people could be paid based on a far more realistic basis that they have the security of a Government job for life. If they don't like that tell them good luck finding work with another airline and see you later. Sorry, but I don't think its right that the fat cats are kept in total luxury and comfort at the taxpayers expense.
P.S. In latest developments - N.Z. closes its borders completely effective from midnight tonight. I expect AIR will ground its entire international fleet by the end of the month or very very shortly thereafter.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12318284
AIR will be left with its domestic services only running at perhaps at 30-40% of normal capacity as the fear of lying means most will travel by car.