VOA标准英语2009-Air Industry Looks to Long Term for Gains

The global air industry and Asia's carriers, in particular, will see industry losses increase sharply this year because of the global recession this according to according to the latest report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Although the immediate¹ outlook is bleak², industry analysts³ are optimistic for the future, especially for growth in the China and India markets.

The bleak financial assessment⁴ for the global air travel industry was presented during the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association, in Malaysia.

In its latest report, the IATA forecast forecast the industry's losses to climb to $9-billion - double its earlier forecasts - with Asia Pacific accounting⁵ for a third of the losses.

European carriers are forecast for losses of almost $2 billion, with North American carriers expected to show a loss of $1 billion, much lower than the more than $5-billion loss in 2008.

The downturn in future earnings⁶ came as IATA revised the global industry losses for 2008 to more than $10 billion.
　
IATA Chief Executive Giovanni Bisignani delivers his speech at the 65th IATA Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 08 Jun 2009

IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani is pessimistic and says the airline industry is "in survival mode", calling on governments and industry to make major changes.

Bisignani is calling on the industry to "resize and reshape", as companies slashed⁷ corporate⁸ travel budgets and consumers are reluctant to spend in the face of the global recession.

John Koldowski, a communications executive with the Pacific Asia Travel Association, says, although there has been some sign of improvement, the first quarter of 2009 was "particularly tough" for the travel industry.

Koldowski says the short-term outlook is likely to be a tough one for the region's travel industry.

"I think in reality is its going to be a long, long time if we, in fact, we ever get back to the sorts of growth rates that we have experienced over the last half decade or more," he said. "That is quite some way off. It is going to be slow tough incremental⁹ growth probably for another two to three quarters."

IATA says Asia-Pacific carriers are expected to have losses of more than $3 billion, with the downturn in the India and China markets following the slide in export-driven demand. The region's carriers lost almost $4 billion in 2008.

Peter Harbison, chairman of the Sydney-based Center for Asia Pacific Aviation says the economic crisis has translated into 30 percent declines in business and first class traffic - hitting hard the bottom line of the air carriers.

"If you think in terms of a 25-percent reduction in premium¹⁰ traffic, you are probably looking at, in terms of total airline operating revenue, as much as 30 percent of gross," he said.

But Harbison says it is unlikely there will be any significant consolidation¹¹ in the Asia-Pacific region, as it "lumbers¹² along with government support".

IATA says air carriers in both India and China had reported heavy financial losses, because of the global economic downturn and contraction¹³ of global export markets.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

5 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

6 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

7 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

9 incremental   

adj.增加的

参考例句：

• For logic devices, the incremental current gain is very important. 对于逻辑器件来说，提高电流增益是非常重要的。 来自辞典例句
• By using an incremental approach, the problems involving material or geometric nonlinearity have been solved. 借应用一种增量方法，已经解决了包括材料的或几何的非线性问题。 来自辞典例句

10 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

11 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

12 lumbers   

砍伐（lumber的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Carefully she covers them and lumbers away. 它把这些卵仔细地盖好，然后慢吞吞地走开了。
• Research shows that the intrinsic frequency of hole defect lumbers is little lower than standard lumbers. 研究表明，含有孔洞试件的固有频率与标准试件相比略低一些，但差别不大。

13 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。