Can the government afford to NOT 'bail' VA out?
Beyond the 10,000 employees directly affected are numerous contractors and suppliers who will likley go to the wall at the worst possible time. And then there are the social costs.
$1.4B is a mere fraction of a percent of what the whole virus is going to cost, and if media speculation is anything to go by it's not exactly free money for VA. It's a loan (obviously of such risk the goverment had to be tapped), with a possible equity stake (thus appeasing the nay sayers of the current foreign ownership)
The option can't be ruled out entirely due to previous management errors.
QF have secured thier own funding and should be grateful they could. There is no point AJ crying foul because his own request for goverment assistance previousy knocked back when a high school accounting student could see the attempt for what ot was.