Could U.S. Airlines Be Nationalized?

With airlines facing a $250-billion loss in revenue for 2020 at a minimum, the additional $35 billion they might have to pay in the form of refunds over the next few months makes for a staggering amount. The dire situation has led pundits to ponder whether the industry might be willing to climb into bed with the government in a quasi-nationalization plan that would bail them out. The rules of the airline bailout game changed mid-match. Congress had promised $58 billion to the airlines in the form of a bailout in line with the CARES Act. Of that,…