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.