It’s not all about propping you Qantas and Virgin. The tickets are about boosting the local destinations at the other end. Qantas and Virgin are getting subsidies for Airport charges, training and maintenance.
If people are stood down because of certain states making certain decisions, well then those states can pay the wages of stood down staff.
Stood Down Long Haul staff sitting on the fence waiting for some form of wage subsidy, I mean are you living on mars?