[经济广角]印度航空大户举步维艰

可可听力网 2009年07月02日 15:17:00

      

印度航空大户举步维艰

      来源:TheWallStreetJournal

      现在,经营一个飞机制造公司便意味着亏钱,这点印度的Jet航空公司可以证明。1992年NareshGoyal成立了自己的Jet航空公司,从而改写了印度的飞机制造历史。在公司成立早期,几乎控制印度整个国家的一半的市场,并慢慢地成为印度航空业的大户。然而,2007年末,Jet公司营业额大幅度下降,直至现在情况窘迫。

      Airline-Sector(航空部门) Woes (困难)Slam(猛攻)India'sHighflier

      Runninganairlineisareliablewaytolosemoney. Theturbulent (汹涌的,狂暴的)rideofIndia'sJetAirwaysshowswhy.

      NareshGoyalshookup(使改组) Indianaviation (飞机制造业)whenhefoundedJetin 1992. Withpunctual (准时的,正点的)flights, newplanesandfriendlyservice, Jetwasthefirstcarrier(运输机) heretotrulymodernize(现代化) airtravel.

      Jetcontrollednearlyhalfthedomestic (国内的)marketbyearlythisdecade, withmostoftherestgoingtostate-owned(国有的) IndianAirlines. InJet's 2004 fiscalyear, asmanyoftheworld'scarrierswerestillrecoveringfromtheSept. 11 terroristattacksontheU.S., itoutpaced(赶超) theindustrywithnetprofits(净利润) of $33 million. Jet'sinitial (主要的)publicoffering, in 2005, valuedMr. Goyal's 80% stakeat $2 billion.

      Now, Jetisscrambling(爬,攀) tostayaloft(高高在上).

      Lowfares(低票价) fromno-frills(低成本) competitorsravaged(蹂躏,璀璨) revenue(收入). Staffcostssoaredasrivals (对手)poached(偷猎) pilots (飞行员)andmechanics(技工). Airportcongestion(拥塞) inIndiamadeforalogistical(后勤) nightmare -- forcingJettoopenaninternationalhub(枢纽) 4,000 milesfromhome, inBrussels. Amidaglutof (供过于求)capacity, Jet'smarketshareslidfromahighofalmost 49% in 2003 toroughly 25% thisyear.

      Theairlinestartedpostingsharplossesinlate 2007. Jetekedout(挣得) anetprofitinitslatestquarterbysellingassets, slashing(降低) costsandbookingtaxcredits, buttheoutlookremainstough.

      "It'sbeenhard," saidMr. Goyal, the 59-year-oldfounder, inaninterviewathis $15 millionLondontownhouse. "Weweremakingsomuchmoney, andnowwe'relosingmoney."

      Thecarrier'swoes(悲哀,不幸) beganasIndia'seconomyboomedin 2005, thushighlightingabroaderproblemfortheglobalairlinesector: Eveningoodtimes, theindustrystrugglestogeneratesustainable(可维持的) profits.

      U.S. carriershavelostbillionsofdollarsinrecentdecadesdespitesoaring (快速增长的)passengernumbers. JetAirwayshassimilarlystruggledtocapitalize (资本化)ongrowthasitgotsqueezed(挤) betweenuncontrollablecostsandincreasinglyunfettered (无拘无束的)competition.

      Jet'sslidecanbetracedto (追溯到)aseachangeintheglobalaviationbusiness. Deregulation(放松管制), theriseofInternetticketsalesandotherfactorshavemadeiteasierthaneverforupstarts (暴发户)tochallengebigger, establishedcarriers.

      InIndia, wherestate-runcarriersandgovernmentpoliciesstymied(侵袭) airtravelfordecades, thesuddentransitionprovedtumultuous(混乱的). Lastyearwasparticularlyrough. Theairlinebusinessfloundered(挣扎) asfuelpricessurged(上涨), thecreditcrunch(信贷紧缩) hitandworld-widetravelplunged(颠簸).

      Jetisreactingbycuttingstaff, closingofficesaroundAsiaandreducingflightfrequencies. Searchingforprofitableroutes, JetrecentlytookplanesfromIndia'scrowdeddomesticmarketandexpandedservicetoDubai. ItsoonplanstostartflyingtoSaudiArabia.

      Mr. Goyalcuthisteeth(很小就会) intheairlinebusinessbyworking -- andsleeping -- athisuncle'sNewDelhitravelagencywhilehewasan 18-year-oldstudent. Sevenyearslater, in 1974, hestartedhisownagency, bankrolled(提供资金) bypersonalsavingsandagoldbracelet(手镯) ofhismother'sthathepawned. AstheIndiansalesagentforoverseascarriersincludingAirFranceandHongKong'sCathayPacificAirwaysLtd., helearnedtheinsandoutsofupscale(质优价高的) airtravel.

      KekeView: Nothingcanbeexemptedfromtheimpactoftheeconomiccrisis.