I think it’s safe to say that most major airlines understood the risks of a global pandemic to their business models.
In other words, there was no way that they didn’t see this coming. It was inevitable. Society has been over-optimized, and it was only a matter of time until something like this happened.
So if the airlines knew it was coming and didn’t prepare for it, should our government still bail them out?
My answer would be, no. Other people will step up and start airline companies. Air travel will continue, just with others at the helm.