[airlines55]

What could be more irresponsible than merely staying facts without also having the diligence to additionally write some apologetics for the facts themselves.

What the reporter should have done, clearly, is get the opinion of one of those benevolent airline executives to explain why cash flow was spent on buybacks instead of literally anything else. They can tell us what we all know - that it is standard procedure and could never comprehend the complexity of corporate finance! That it was for our good, after all, in a way, and that, well, that's how Things Are.

Personally, and this is just me, we should ban the plebeians , oh I mean the uniformed, from making dangerous observations of fact!

[em500]

Both the journalist suggest that the airline execs should have done something different with the FCF without stating what (dividends? salaries? investments?) and why.

From your tone and reply it seems you agree, so maybe you can clarify this. What else should they have done with their FCF? Would everything be OK if they paid everything in dividends like utilities? Plow everything into investments like Amazon? Into what? Buying all their airplanes, rather than leasing airplanes? Stashing everything in a huge pot of treasuries like Apple? Giving their crew and support staff big raises?