All borders to reopen.

[ebt]

Originally Posted by dr dre

ExpressJet Shuts Down, Idling 3,000 Airline Workers
American Airlines begins furloughs for 19,000 workers
Airlines Near 50,000 Job Cuts as American, United Feel Squeeze
Miami Air ends operations after 29 years

And that's only for now, more expected next year because the dysfunctional US government can't provide assistance for the airline industry.

Letting the virus rip through the nation doesn't mean boom times for airlines. It's the opposite.

In comparison:
China Southern Turns Third Quarter Profit Amid Rebounding Market
How major South Korean airlines made profits during pandemic
Air New Zealand will operate 90 per cent of its pre-COVID-19 domestic schedule

Nations that took strict initial measures and dealt with the pandemic seriously are doing better and rebounding. It's obvious which path Australia should follow.

While I don't disagree with your conclusion, you fail to pick up that the key factor in all of this is government support. The USA's CARES Act provided a level of support for airlines provided they didn't furlough. That expired in October and so now the cash tap has been turned off, you'll see the US carriers now really start to pull things back where they can, while also grabbing the opportunity to make some cash where there is opportunity to do so. By comparison, China is subsidising their carriers to the hilt, Air NZ has been drawing on a government loan, and Korea has also helped to provide assistance to some carriers.