Return on Capital Employed
If Jetstar makes money by selling muffins and loses on everything else, then it would seem logical to this simple mind that shareholders in QAN would be better off if:
1.all flying ops were ceased;
2. the $3bn cash pile either distributed back to shareholders or put on term depo at 5% (I'm getting that for 6mths at the moment so it shouldn't be hard for the treasury to get) = $150m / year interest;
3. flying-related assets sold off and the resulting cash used to purchase muffin-selling assets (a Mrs Fields franchise, perhaps?).
Flying aeroplanes around is an expensive way to run a muffin-flogging outfit.