The International Air Transport Association says world airlines are set to lose $4.7 billion in 2009 due to the global recession, almost double the amount of loss predicted by IATA in December.
国际航空运输协会(IATA)表示，由于全球经济衰退，世界航空业今年将会出现47亿美元的亏损，比这个机构12月份预测的数字几乎高出了一倍。
The International Air Transport Association says 2009 is shaping up to be one of the toughest years the airline industry has ever faced. It says the global economic downturn has caused passenger demand to fall by 5.6 percent and has made a big dent in cargo traffic.
国际航空运输协会说，2009年看来将会成为世界航空业有史以来面对的最为困难的年度之一。该机构表示，世界经济下滑导致乘客需求下降5.6%，货运业务也大幅度下降。
IATA Director General, Giovanni Bisignani, says air cargo was down by more than 23 percent in January. He says this is a leading indicator not just for airlines, but for the whole economy.
国际航空运输协会理事长乔万尼.比西纳尼(Giovanni Bisignani)说，1月份货运下降了23%多。他说，这个数据不只是航空业的一个主要指数，也是世界经济的一个指数。
"Air cargo represents 35 percent of the value of goods traded internationally. And, a slowdown in cargo means that the consumers are not buying and manufacturers are not producing. And, we can fully expect that the economic downturn of the following months will get worse before it gets better," he said.
“货运占全球商品贸易总值的35%。货运下降就意味着消费者削减消费，制造商削减生产。我们完全可以预期，今后几个月经济下滑的势头在好转之前还要继续恶化。”
Bisignani says the only bright spot in this otherwise gloomy picture is the lower price of fuel. He says this will help the industry, but not enough. He says the benefits from lower fuel prices are overshadowed by falling demand and plummeting revenues.
比西纳尼说，在这个经济前景一片昏暗的画面里只有一个亮点，就是燃油价格的下降。他说，油价下降对航空业有好处，但这并不够。他说，燃油价格下跌带来的好处被需求下降和收入减少所抵销。
He says airlines will have to make sacrifices to keep from going under, but he says the one area they will not short-change is safety.
这位理事长兼首席执行官表示，航空业将不得不承受一些牺牲来确保生存。不过，他还说，有一个方面航空业是不会降低标准的，这就是航空安全。
"Despite this difficult moment, despite the loss in revenues, the massive losses, this is the number one priority. And, this is still a good story. By the end of this month, March, all IATA members will have achieved IOSA registration," Bisignani said.
“尽管日子很艰难，收入在减少，亏损很巨大，但安全还是第一位的优先。现在，这方面的情况还不错。到3月底，国际航空协会的所有成员都将通过IOSA运行安全审计认证。”
IOSA is the acronym for IATA Operational Safety Audit, a program the airlines use to measure their conformity with global safety standards.
IOSA是国际航空运输协会运行安全审计认证的英文字母缩写。航空业通过这个IOSA认证来掌握世界各航空公司执行安全标准的情况。
IATA says Asia-Pacific carriers are the hardest hit by the economic crisis and can expect losses of $1.7 billion. By comparison, it says North American airlines are putting in the best performance and will make an estimated $100 million in profit this year.
国际航空运输协会表示，亚太地区航空公司遭受经济危机打击最重，它们的亏损可能达到17亿美元。相比之下，北美地区的航空公司表现最好，今年可以获得预计一亿美元的盈利。
Regarding other regions, IATA says European, Latin American and African carriers are expected to record large losses. But, it notes the Middle East will be the only region to maintain growth.
世界其它地区，该协会说，欧洲、拉美和非洲地区的航空公司估计亏损会比较大。但是，中东地区将是唯一能够保持增长的地区。
The International Air Transport Association predicts the airline industry will start to recover by the end of the year or the beginning of 2010. It says consumers will benefit from the airline's misfortune as leading airlines slash fares to woo customers.
国际航协预测，航空业将会在今年年底或者明年年初开始复苏。它认为，消费者将会从航空公司的困难中获益，因为大型航空公司都在降低票价以吸引顾客。 |