Prior to privatisation BA was owned by the government so obviously it had cash injections to help sort itself out for privatisation before it could be sold off.
Would it get government help now? Can you imagine the fuss if it even contemplated trying? It would not happen whether asked for or not.
Whichever way it is looked at Chapter 11 is a way of allowing a company to continue trading artificially. Remind me how long United has been in Chapter 11 and how many of the US airlines are operating under its protection?
Not to mention the government money injected since 11/9.
I wouldn't mind quite so much if BA, Virgin and numerous other airlines weren't having to compete in the same market, i.e. trans-atlantic routes, against such blatantly unfair, subsidised competition.
I have no desire to wish the demise of any company on its employees with all the angst and distress that goes with it but market forces can only be bucked for so long and the demise of a large US carrier is as eventually as inevitable as it is overdue.
An important difference is that Chapter 11 leaves the management in place
Is that the same management that created the mess in the first place?