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Larger passengers hit airline
profits | |
The US airline industry is facing a new threat to
its profits - heavier passengers, a report has found.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
average US adult put on ten pounds (4.5 kgs) of weight during the 1990s.
Shifting the extra bulk cost airlines an additional $275m in fuel costs
in 2000, the report says.
Earnings at airlines have already been under pressure amid waning
demand and a record surge in the price of crude oil.
In the US, a number of carriers have gone
bust while others are struggling to survive in an ever
more competitive market place.
While it is relatively easy to check the weight of a traveller's
luggage and charge those that bust limits, it is much harder to regulate a
person's waistline.
Some firms have toyed with the idea of charging obese travellers for
two seats, but it is not a practice that has taken off industry-wide.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration increased by ten pounds
the average passenger weight they use to calculate aircraft loads.
Since then crude oil prices have hit record levels, with many firms
responding by raising the fuel surcharge
they add to ticket prices.
The rising level of obesity in the US and in Europe has prompted
government health campaigns and harsh criticism of a number of food firms.
Restaurant chain McDonald's has taken the brunt of the attack and has in
recent months reworked its menu to include healthier options. The move has
helped lift profits.
The prediction by experts, however, is that humans are set to become
bigger, putting increasing pressure on airline profit.
(Agencies) |
有報告顯示，目前乘客體重不斷增加使美國航空業的利潤空間面臨新的威脅。
美國疾病控制和預防中心的數據顯示，上世紀90年代的10年間，美國成年人的平均體重增加了10磅（4.5 公斤）。
報告稱，2000年，為了運載這些“額外的重量”，航空公司額外支出了2.75億美元的燃料費用。
隨著市場需求的疲軟和原油價格再創歷史新高，航空公司的收入已經面臨很大的壓力。
在美國，不少航空公司已經破產，剩下的在競爭更加激烈的市場環境中為了生存苦苦掙扎。
檢查乘客的行李重量并對超重部分收費相對比較容易，但想要控制乘客的腰圍就困難多了。
一些航空公司開玩笑地提出這樣的想法：向肥胖的乘客收取兩個座位的費用。但是這種做法目前尚未在業界內廣泛推行。
去年，美國聯邦航空管理局把用來計算飛機載荷的乘客平均體重提高了10磅。
因為當時原油價格創下了歷史新記錄，作為應對措施，很多公司不得不提高機票價格中的燃料費用。
美國人和歐洲人不斷發胖的趨勢促使政府發動健康運動，同時人們嚴厲譴責許多食品公司。
麥當勞連鎖店在譴責聲中受到沖擊，因而不得不在最近幾個月里修改菜單，增加了一些更有利于健康的食物。這一舉動促使麥當勞的盈利增加。
然而，據專家預測，人類注定會越來越胖，會對航空公司的利潤空間形成不斷增加的壓力。
（中國日報網站譯） |
Updated: 2004-11-09 10:51