美联航总裁柯比关于补贴的最新言论

大家好，我是郭震。

近日，美联航总裁斯科特-柯比（Scott Kirby）围绕补贴问题发布了最新的观点。这也是延续我们之前讨论的竞争问题。

之前我的观点是：竞争管制的整个基础已经被破坏。全球政府对航空公司的支持非常广泛，补贴将推动近期的大部分增长，尤其是在国际市场。这就产生了围绕竞争的根本性问题，并使保护主义重新抬头的可能性。

斯科特-柯比的言论则可以显示美国的航空公司在补贴领域的认识，即短期的补贴与长期的补贴不同，疫情期间的补贴与疫情前后的补贴也不同。

这些观点需要重视。后疫情时代洲际航空公司更少，赛道上选手的举动都会被竞争对手所关注。

还是那句话，后疫情时代，玩法要变了。

另外，柯比早年还有军方背景。柯比毕业于美国空军学院，他拥有该学校计算机科学及运筹学学士学位，同时他还取得了乔治华盛顿大学的运筹学硕士学位，他的职业生涯开始于美国国防部技术部门。

以下附全文：

柯比（Kirby）表示，最近的政府补贴是一种特殊情况，它支持航空作为基础设施的关键部分，而不是仅对不可行业务模型的企业提供持续的定期支持。

（CEO Kirby says recent government subsidies are a unique situation which supports aviation as a critical part of the infrastructure, as opposed to just ongoing regular support of businesses that don't have a workable business model.）

[问：美国的航空公司通过这次大流行获得了美国政府的一些支持。它带有一些附加条件，但是您是否认为这会改变游戏规则，相对于中东地区的历史问题或获得不公平补贴的国际承运人有什么影响。像美联航和其他获得美国资助的航空公司带来的后果是什么？]

政府已经将航空作为基础设施的重要组成部分。这是一种独特的情况，而不是仅对不可行业务模型的企业提供持续的定期支持。

简而言之，我认为这根本不会改变对话。危机一生一次或百年一次，基本上在世界范围内，对于美国而言，这并不是唯一的，除了少数例外，几乎在世界范围内，但在世界范围内，大多数国家都对航空业提供了支持。他们不仅支持航空作为基础设施的重要组成部分，还支持航空，就像他们支持经济的其他部分一样，而COVID却无缘无故地给它们带来了打击。

“因此，我认为这是一种独特的情况，而不是为那些没有可行的商业模式的企业提供持续的定期支持。我们以前曾经盈利，之后我们将会盈利。之后，我们将实现自我维持。这对我们来说是正确的，法国航空是这样，汉莎航空是这样，新西兰航空为这样，在世界各地都是如此，不同的是，如果您是之前亏钱，如果没有政府的支持，您以后就会亏钱。我认为这是您正在经历的另一种补贴。”

[Q: The US carriers have got some support from the US government through this pandemic. It's come with some strings attached, but do you think that this changes the game, has any ramifications relative to the historical issue around the Gulf or international carriers who were getting unfair subsidies. What's the ramification of airlines like United and others getting US funds?]

Government has supported aviation as a critical part of the infrastructure. This is a unique situation as opposed to just ongoing regular support of businesses that don’t have a workable business model.

“In short I think it really doesn't change the conversation at all. A once in a lifetime or once in a century crisis, governments basically around the world, this isn't unique to the US, almost around the world with a few exceptions, but mostly around the world have supported aviation. Not just aviation, but they've supported aviation as a critical part of the infrastructure, just like they've supported other parts of the economy that were hit by COVID through no fault of their own.

"And so I think that is a unique situation, as opposed to just ongoing regular support of businesses that don't have a workable business model. We were profitable before, we're going to be profitable after. We were self-sustaining before, we're going to be self-sustaining afterwards. That's true of us. That's true of Air France. That's true of Lufthansa. That's true of Air New Zealand. Around the world, that's true. And the difference is, if you were losing money before, you're going to be losing money afterwards without state support. I think that's a different kind of state subsidy you're getting through.”