Interesting
The Ansett/Air NZ fiasco may not have had its genesis in exactly the same form that Swissair and potentially BA and others face.
But they do bring some latent but fundamentally important issues into clear and bright focus.
What is becoming increasingly clear is that the rush to "deregulation and privatisation" may have been politically opportunistic (not to be confused with politically correct) and the share staggers may have made a quick bob but have in fact been a resounding failure.
If they haven't worked it out by now flag carriers should remain just that, reregulation of the industry should proceed apace and the aviation infrastructure returned to its rightful owner, the national estate.
The profit imperative and the provision of domestic and international services by individual countries are mutually exclusive and is/was/always has been a sovereign matter for the state and the protection of their citizens.
Recent events and their impact on the aviation structures and infrastructure have irrevocably changed and will never be the same, regardless of how optimistic for the future we may be.
Private corporations will forever have a precarious financial existence as they do not nor ever can have, any control over sovereign issues, viz September 11. The recent requirements for Government guarantees for “war” insurance are a classic example.
They do not nor can they be expected to have the financial resources to deal with the effects of the actions of or against their sovereign states or bear the consequences thereof.
The ad hoc, quick fixes that are invariably applied by Government to airlines seeking support for this and compensation for that merely disguise the underlying problem.
Think about it.
Back to square one and a fundamental rethink of the whole schlemiel, methinks.
Ideas anybody?