Agreed Normasars, significant amounts of patient capital is not normally found in publically traded companies - especially airlines.
Nevertheless, assuming it could be delivered in a format that didn't constitute a 'lethal injection', Qantas could no doubt benefit significantly from a private equity buy in.
Unfortunately typical P.E. behaviour isn't conducive to long term investment in products where safety costs. To get around this probably requires a big dollop of Government Intervention and Employee Ownership and wouldn't expect this to happen unless Management/Shareholders deem it necessary.
Is chicken & egg stuff, which regretfully means, it will probably get worse before it gets better?
Think United!