Also a fantastic point made by several news outlets recently - that the same companies begging for handouts are also the best at dodging taxes
"One of the first to seek a government bailout has been the
cruise ship industry in the US. For decades, its ships have flown the colours of Panama, Liberia and other flags of convenience to skirt minimum wage laws as well as get out of paying taxes. Some companies have achieved corporate tax rates that even Google would envy.
In the UK, the
airline industry quickly followed suit, with Virgin Atlantic, a company owned by a
tax exile,
writing to the government to say the entire industry may need support to the tune of £7.5bn. This letter came in the week that
easyJet paid a dividend of £60m to its founder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou –
tax resident in Monaco. Any support to the airline industry will no doubt flow through to aircraft leasing companies based in low-tax Ireland."
So again, I'd reiterate I have no sympathy for airlines whatsoever