I generally don't care if the current airlines survive. If their business model can't handle an emergency then we should let them fail. They can enter bankruptcy and someone or someones will come in, swoop up the assets, and start new airlines. It is not written in the stars that American Airlines, United, Delta, and Southwest get to be THE premier airlines for the United States.

Let them find their own way. Maybe next time the airlines won't use 96% of their cash flow on share buybacks.

I would also entertain the idea of loaning the airlines money at student loan interest rates. We can even defer payments until the pandemic is over, accruing interesting in the interim of course.

Or liquidate shares and sell them to the public treasury if they need the cash so badly.

Anything, legitimately anything, other than a bailout.