mmm... can you remind me how much help European airlines (including AF) received from their governments and from the EU and how much US airlines received from the US government post 9/11?
Can you remind me which country has a bankruptcy code which permits airlines, under its chapter 11, to continue trading while insolvent and be shielded from their creditors for many years?
I find it rather amusing that the US is always first to lecture others on free market principles but is always very quick to set those principles aside whenever it is deemed convenient. I have not seen much sign of the US being willing to negotiate on cabotage rights under Open Skies agreements despite the free trade rhetoric. Nor have I seen much willingness to get rid of limitations on ownership rules for domestic operators either.
And exactly what has the French government done to ensure that AF is in a monopolistic position, when they have no power over intra-EU (including domestic) access to routes and fares (this is a matter for the EU, not the Member States)?
I would not regard AF as brilliant, but it is not the nightmare that is so often depicted. Financiallly, they certainly have done a heck of a lot better than KLM. Why do you think that KL shares rose substantially when the takeover was announced and AF shares fell?