Surprise, surprise.  Now that the Trump administration has floated a bailout for Spirit Airlines, a lot of other airlines are lining up for an infusion of taxpayer dollars.  The WSJ reports:

The Association of Value Airlines said Monday that it asked the administration to consider creating a $2.5 billion pool that budget carriers could draw from because they have been disproportionately affected by the run-up in fuel prices. The estimate assumed jet-fuel prices would remain above $4 a gallon on average for the rest of the year, according to people familiar with the matter.

Wait a dog gone minute!  Everyone reading this Hotline and nearly every company has been adversely “affected by the run-up in fuel prices.”  Why do airlines get special treatment?  Would Spirit and Frontier give the money back when gas prices go back down to $3 a gallon?

The group called it “a necessary and targeted measure to stabilize operations and keep airfares affordable.” The Wall Street Journal earlier reported on the group’s request.

Next thing you know, they will claim this aid will be “temporary.”

Just as we feared earlier in the week, the pricetag for the Spirit bailout has quintupled from the original $500 million taxpayer tab. Once the federal government is a shareholder in a portfolio of airlines, it’s a short step to reorganizing them into one big, bureaucratic Amtrak of the skies.