No, I think you are being naive. There is every prospect of a return - even if Air NZ went bankrupt, the assets and delivery positions are worth quite a bit.
Also, an "investment with no prospect of a return" does NOT equal a handout. Even if there is no return, the original sum must still be repaid (and will be, out of the remains, should Air NZ fail). A "handout" is given with no expectation of ever seeing the money again, which I doubt Helen intended.
More to the point, the share price doesn't accurately reflect the health of company, merely the markets confidence, and that is in turn largely affected by external factors such as fuel prices.
Anyway... we shall see...
