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日米航空自由化 「空」も大競争時代を迎えた

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 15, 2009)
Age of megacompetition in air markets has arrived
日米航空自由化 「空」も大競争時代を迎えた(12月15日付・読売社説)

More than half a century after the opening of routes over the Pacific Ocean between Japan and the United States, a full liberalization of their civil aviation markets will be achieved at last.
 太平洋路線が開設されてから半世紀を経て、日米間の空の完全自由化がようやく実現する。

The Japanese and U.S. governments have agreed to liberalize air traffic under a so-called open skies accord.
 日米両政府が、航空自由化(オープンスカイ)協定の締結で合意した。

The agreement will be formally signed by October, allowing all Japanese and U.S. carriers to freely decide on the routes and numbers of flights between the two countries, in principle.
正式に協定が結ばれる来秋には、両国のすべての航空会社が日米間の路線や便数を自由に設定できるようになる。

To attract tourists and trade from abroad, the United States, European countries and South Korea have already concluded open skies agreements with one another and are promoting liberalization of their respective civil aviation markets. But Japan has cut such a deal only with eight countries and regions, mainly in Asia.
 欧米や韓国は、自国に人やモノを呼び込むため、互いに航空自由化協定を結び、空の自由化を進めている。だが、日本がこれまで自由化協定を結んだのはアジアなど8か国・地域にすぎない。

If Japan falls behind further in this endeavor, it could find itself left out of the world's main aviation networks. The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry should strive to ensure that the Japan-U.S. open skies agreement serves its purpose of revitalizing the aviation industry and improving passengers' convenience. The ministry also must quickly overhaul the administration of air transportation and prepare for the fierce competition in the industry that the agreement will bring about.
 これ以上後れをとれば、日本は世界の主要航空網から外されかねない。国土交通省は自由化協定を航空業界の活性化や利用者の利便性向上につなげるとともに、航空行政の転換を急ぎ、業界内の競争激化に備えるべきだ。

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Too few flight slots available

To increase the routes and numbers of flights under the latest open skies agreement, airports must be able to handle such additional traffic. The liberalization of the civil aviation market has been delayed in Japan mainly because departure and arrival slots at airports in the Tokyo metropolitan area, to which many foreign airlines hope to extend services, have always been fully occupied.
 自由化によって路線や便数を増やすには、空港にそれを受け入れる余力がなければならない。日本の航空自由化が遅れたのは、乗り入れ希望が多い首都圏空港の発着枠が恒常的に満杯だったことが大きく影響している。

The Japan-U.S. open skies agreement was realized in response to the extension of Runway B at Narita Airport and the scheduled expansion of Haneda Airport, whose fourth runway will open in October, increasing the departure and arrival slots for international flights operated by the two airports by 20,000 and 30,000 a year, respectively, from next year.
 今回の日米合意は、成田、羽田両空港で滑走路が延伸・増設され、来年に国際線の発着枠が成田で年2万回、羽田で年3万回増えることを受けて実現した。

But the two airports are expected to immediately fill these increases in flight slots. To see results from the open skies agreement, it is indispensable that efforts be made to increase the flight slots further.
 だが、この程度の発着枠の増加はすぐ使い切ってしまう。自由化の実をあげるため、さらに発着枠を増やす努力が欠かせない。

At the same time, it is important to proceed with the plan to transform Haneda Airport into an international hub airport.
 同時に、羽田の国際拠点(ハブ)化も進めることが重要だ。

In the Japan-U.S. negotiations for the open skies agreement, Japan has agreed to grant the United States landing and departure slots at Haneda Airport for up to four round-trip flights daily late at night and early in the morning. Transport minister Seiji Maehara, meanwhile, has expressed his willingness to allow flights to and from the United States and European countries in the daytime at the airport in and after 2011.
 今回の日米協議では、深夜・早朝に羽田を発着する米国便を1日8便新設することが決まったが、前原国土交通相は2011年以降、昼間にも羽田に欧米便を就航させる考えを示している。

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JAL tie-up to have big effects

With the liberalization of flight route scheduling, it is possible that airlines could increase the number of flights to and from the United States at Haneda Airport and reduce those at other international airports. Therefore, Narita, Kansai and Chubu airports will have to make more managerial efforts, including lowering their landing fees.
 路線設定の自由化によって、航空会社は羽田の米国便を増やす代わりに、他の国際空港の米国便を減らすことも考えられる。成田、関西、中部の国際空港は、着陸料の引き下げなどの経営努力が、さらに必要になろう。

With the liberalization, there is a higher possibility that even if Japanese and U.S. airlines jointly fix prices and sell tickets to fill seats, they could be exempted from the application of the Antimonopoly Law. A reorganization of the Japanese and U.S. aviation industries likely would be accelerated.
 自由化によって、日米の航空会社が共同で運賃や座席管理などを進めても独占禁止法の適用除外となる可能性が高まる。日米航空業界の再編が加速しそうだ。

With whom will cash-strapped Japan Airlines conclude a business tie-up--Delta Air Lines or American Airlines? The two U.S. carriers belong to different airline alliances, and JAL's tie-up will have major consequences for the power relationships among the world aviation industries.
 経営再建中の日本航空は、米デルタ、アメリカン航空のどちらと提携するのか。両社は異なる航空連合に属し、提携の行方は航空業界の勢力図を大きく変える。

We hope that JAL will decide who to tie up with by taking into account passengers' needs, such as reasonable airfares and transit convenience.
 日航は運賃や乗り継ぎの利便性など、利用者の視点も忘れずに、提携相手を決めてほしい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 15, 2009)
(2009年12月15日00時50分 読売新聞)
by kiyoshimat | 2009-12-15 04:32 | 英字新聞

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