ＪＡＬ破綻１年 再建はこれからが正念場だ

JALがなくなっても世の中は動く！
これも時代の流れ、競争力のない航空会社は縮小、消滅させられる。
TGやSQのほうが良い＾＾。
（スラチャイ記）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 20, 2011)
Real battle for JAL starts now, one year on
ＪＡＬ破綻１年　再建はこれからが正念場だ（1月19日付・読売社説）

Wednesday marks the passage of one year since Japan Airlines filed for court-administered bankruptcy protection under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law.
　日本航空が会社更生法の適用を申請し、経営破綻してから、１９日で１年を迎える。

During that time, JAL has striven to streamline its operations through various measures, including reducing the number of its flight routes and employees. The airline is facing a crucial juncture as it seeks to become a listed corporation again at the end of 2012.
　この間、路線や人員の削減などリストラを進めてきたが、２０１２年末の株式再上場を目指す再建策は、これからが正念場だ。

Given the massive amount of taxpayers' money used to implement its bailout plan, JAL will no longer be allowed to operate in a laid-back manner, as it did in the past.
　巨額の公的資金が投じられており、甘い経営体質の温存は、もはや許されない。

The airline must grow out of its old tendency to rely on the government and politicians whenever it faces a crisis. This is its last chance, one JAL should not miss as it seeks to transform itself into a corporation that can best serve customers' interests.
危機のたびに行政や政治に頼る「親方日の丸」意識を捨て、今度こそ顧客本位の会社に生まれ変わる必要がある。

JAL's rehabilitation plan went into full swing in late November, when the Tokyo District Court gave the go-ahead to the scheme.
　昨年１１月末、東京地裁が更生計画を認め、再建が本格化した。

The airline was given a 350 billion yen injection of public funds from the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC). It also received a 520 billion yen debt waiver from its major creditor banks.
企業再生支援機構から公的資金３５００億円の出資を受け、取引銀行には５２００億円の借金を棒引きしてもらった。

These measures must be viewed as exceptionally generous assistance that would be unthinkable for ordinary failed corporations. If the bailout plan does not come off, it means the public will have to shoulder a new financial burden. JAL's executives and employees must take this to heart.
　通常の破綻企業では考えられない破格の支援であり、再建が頓挫すれば、国民負担も生じる。経営陣や社員は、何よりもまずそのことを肝に銘じるべきである。

Bringing costs down to earth

A certain measure of progress is being made in rectifying the high-cost structure of JAL's operations, a primary task to be tackled in the company's rehabilitation.
　最大の課題だった高コスト体質は改善の方向にある。

The airline has taken such steps as withdrawing from 45 domestic and international routes and cutting personnel by about 16,000. All this has brought JAL's operations down to two-thirds of their previous scale.
国内外４５路線からの撤退や１万６０００人の人員削減などで規模は３分の２に縮小した。

The airline's streamlining efforts helped secure 130 billion yen in operating profits during the April-October period, far exceeding JAL's estimate.
合理化で、昨年４～１０月の営業利益は予想を大きく上回る１３００億円を確保した。

It is too early to celebrate, however. The improvement in JAL's profits must be attributed to such temporary factors as declining fuel costs and a surge in the value of the yen. The recovery cannot be regarded as an indication that the airline's business will remain profitable from here on out.
　だが、喜ぶのは早い。燃料費の下落や円高などによる一時的要因が大きく、黒字体質が定着したとは言えまい。

More worryingly, it is not clear what kind of distinctive services and operations JAL wants to offer to survive and prosper.
　それ以上に気になるのは、日航が今後、どんな特徴を持つ航空会社として生き残るつもりなのか、展望が見えてこないことだ。

Competition is expected to become even more intense among airlines this year, due to deregulation of the airline industry and a considerable increase in the number of low-cost carriers.
　今年は、航空自由化が進展、格安航空会社の参入も本格化し、競争は一段と厳しくなる。

Airlines around the world are desperately attempting to differentiate themselves from rivals, with some trying to provide upscale in-flight services targeting businesspeople and others boasting of low fares made possible by curtailing operational costs.
世界の航空各社は、ビジネス客優先の高級サービス、コストを切り詰めた低料金など、差別化に懸命だ。

We feel JAL has yet to break with its old ideas about the quality of in-flight services and airfares, despite the reduction in its business scale.
　これに対し、日航はスリム化はしても、サービスの提供や運賃の決定について、旧来の発想から抜け出せていないのではないか。

Getting a new crew on board

In December, JAL invited officials from several institutions--including the ETIC and Kyocera Corp., from which JAL Chairman Kazuo Inamori hails--to join its management.
　昨年末、稲盛和夫会長の出身母体の京セラなどから役員を迎えた。

We hope JAL will create a daring business strategy unfettered by the accepted wisdom of the airline industry.
業界の常識にとらわれない大胆な戦略を打ち出してほしい。

Another task facing JAL is eliminating the antagonism between its labor and management.
　労使対立の解消も課題だ。

A group of about 140 pilots, flight attendants and other personnel is set to file a suit against the airline, insisting they were unduly dismissed as part of the company's restructuring efforts.
パイロットや客室乗務員ら１４０人が整理解雇を不当として、集団提訴に踏み切る。

Efforts must be made to bridge the divide between JAL's labor and management. Doing so will be essential to avert turmoil within the airline, prevent customers from going elsewhere and ensure safety comes first in flight operations.
社内の混乱や顧客離れを避け、安全第一の運航を続けるには、労使の溝を埋める努力が欠かせまい。

In another issue to be addressed in connection with JAL's revival program, the government should hasten to fundamentally reconsider its civil aviation policy.
　日航再生を機に、政府も航空行政の抜本見直しを急ぐべきだ。

Measures must be taken to increase the international competitiveness of domestic airlines.
To this end, the government needs, first and foremost, to help reduce landing fees at domestic airports that are higher than those charged overseas. It also must scrap the aircraft fuel tax, which has no counterpart abroad.
航空会社の競争力強化に向け、割高な着陸料の値下げ、世界に例を見ない航空機燃料税の廃止などに優先的に取り組む必要があろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 19, 2011)
（2011年1月19日01時21分 読売新聞）