As the US airlines grab bailouts, they dig the final holes in their 'level playing field'

© Photovs

As US airlines grab their $50bn bailout with both hands, it’s hard not to think back, all the way to, oh, 10 months ago, when the big three were still complaining bitterly about the “funnelling [of] over $50bn in subsidies” by Qatar and the UAE into their carriers.

“These state subsidies are destabilising the global airline industry and threatening to undermine our nation’s entire system of trade enforcement,” they said.

“Left unchecked, they send a signal that other countries can ignore our ...