Cargo Currently The Lifeline For Many Airlines | 货运业务目前是许多航空公司的生命线

新冠疫情的流行引发了航空运输业的两个故事：一是航空客动业务几乎崩溃了，预计在完全恢复之前需要几年的时间；二是航空货运业务已显示出卓越的弹性，并有望在2021年实现两位数的同比增长。

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a tale of two air transport industries: a passenger business that has nearly collapsed—with years expected before a full recovery occurs—and a cargo business that has demonstrated exceptional resiliency and is expected to post double-digit year-over-year (YOY) percentage traffic growth in 2021. 

航空周刊数据显示，不以运输包裹为主的货运航空公司（如空桥货运航空、Altas航空等）的利用率在2020年11月中创下新高。

Aviation Week data showed that non-package cargo carriers utilization hit new highs in mid-November 2020.

然而，航空货运仍然面临运力短缺的情况，许多长途客运航班仍在停飞状态，这使市场无法应用这些飞机的机腹货舱运力。而在疫情之前，全球约有一半的航空货运量是由客机的机腹货舱进行的，它们可以提供货机没有的航线网络深度。

However,  the sector is still facing a shortage of capacity with many long-haul passenger flights remaining grounded, removing belly capacity from the market. Before the pandemic, about half of the world’s air cargo traffic was carried in the bellies of passenger aircraft, which provided a depth of network reach that freighters do not. 

为了满足航空货运能力的需求，许多航空公司将停飞的客机改装为货运用途，在座位上放置货物，也有的航空公司在一些燃油效率高的飞机（如波音787）上面拆除了座椅，利用空置的客舱来运输货物，从而变成一架“货机”。

To meet air cargo capacity demand, a number of carriers turned grounded passenger aircraft into freighters, either by placing cargo securely on empty passenger seats or by removing the seats to create de facto second cargo decks on fuel-efficient mainline aircraft, such as the Boeing 787. 

客运航空公司的货运收入比例预计将从疫情前的12％增长到目前的33％。

Total passenger airline revenue generated from cargo is expected to increase to about 33% of total revenue this year, up from 12% before the pandemic.