The U.S. government isn’t bailing out the airline industry to save air travel. It’s bailing out the airline industry so these companies can pay for all the new aircraft they’ve purchased from Boeing.
Historically, the airline industry has enjoyed enormous financial support for the government as part of our National Defense. Rapid Mobilization Capacity. By law they have to turn over everything to the government on a moment’s notice. They have never been “notified” AFAIK but it’s there, in the. Laws.