Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Skies wide open: On resumption of international flights

Skies wide open: On resumption of international flights

The resumption (पुनरारंभ, फिर से शुरू करना) of regular international flights should help the travel and hospitality (अतिथि सेवा, आदर, सत्कार) sectors

The Government’s decision to allow scheduled commercial international flights to resume (restart, start again, recommence) operations from later this month will come as a big relief to the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, which have been among (के बीच में) the hardest hit (affect badly) by the pandemic (वैश्विक महामारी). The International Air Transport Association (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय वायु परिवहन संघ) estimates (आकलन, अनुमान) that the global aviation (air transport) industry suffered about $201 billion in losses between 2020 and 2022 due to (इस कारण, की वजह से) COVID-19 and the accompanying (साथ में, परिचर, सह-अस्तित्व) curbs (control, restraint, check, restriction, limitation) on overseas (relating to a foreign country) travel and domestic (घरेलू, राष्ट्रीय, राज्य) mobility (गतिशीलता, परिवहन योग्यता). The tourism and hospitality industry largely (काफी हद तक, व्यापक रूप से, विस्तार से) feeds off (support, strengthen, fortify) the aviation sector for its earnings and jobs growth, evident (प्रत्यक्ष, स्पष्ट) from estimates that in 2020 — the year of lockdowns (an emergency protocol implemented by the authorities that prevents people from leaving from a place; An extended state of confinement/encirclement/isolation of a person by the authority) — India’s foreign exchange earnings (विदेशी मुद्रा आय) from tourist arrivals from abroad plummeted 76% from the previous year, to ₹50,136 crore. Official data show that in just the nine months ended December 2020, 21.5 million jobs were lost in tourism. However, the decision to open up international travel has coincided with the intensification (escalation, aggravation, exacerbation) of sanctions (action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc ) on Russia in the wake of (as a result of, in the aftermath of, as a consequence of) its invasion (occupation, conquering, capture, seizure, annexation, annexing, takeover) of Ukraine, which in turn (successively, sequentially) has sent oil prices soaring (rise, increase (quickly)) on fears of disruptions to global energy supply chains. The price of crude oil (the raw natural resource that is extracted from the earth and refined into products such as gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and other petroleum products) has zoomed (rise sharply) close to historical peaks. As a result, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) (a specialized byproduct of crude or petroleum used to power aircraft) prices have also jumped (rise, go up) by almost 60% year-on-year (year over year (for comparison)). This month, India’s state-owned (government-owned, state-run) oil marketing companies raised ATF prices for the fifth time this year, and this was before crude soared (increase rapidly, shoot up, rise rapidly, escalate) to near record highs. Fuel costs typically constitute (comprise, make up, compose, add up to, account for, represent) about one fifth of a global airline’s operating expenditure and multiple price increases are certain (unquestionable, sure, definite) to hurt airlines’ margins (profit margin) and viability (practicality, workability, feasibility (to work successfully)).

The conflict (war, armed conflict, battle, fighting) in Ukraine has also triggered (bring about, cause, prompt, set off) a sharp jump (rise, go up) in a wide range of commodity prices, that is potentially (likely, possibly, probably) set to quicken (speed up, accelerate, step up) inflation (simply meaning “cost of living”; an increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value) across the globe. This is bound to (sure, likely, guaranteed) seep into (permeate, flow, drain into) the cost of overseas travel as well, with travellers needing to budget (allocate, allot, assign, designate, set aside) more for food and entertainment. Airlines will find it a challenge to fill seats profitably, given (considering, taking into account, bearing in mind) the combination of rising costs, economic uncertainty (unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness) triggered by the conflict in Eastern Europe and the residual (lingering, lasting, enduring, abiding, persisting) fear among travellers of new variants (different or form or version or mutant of something (virus)) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Strict regulations as various parts of the world cautiously open their borders to visitors will only add to the burden of the aviation and the hospitality industries. And, with the pandemic and restricted mobility having steered (guide, conduct, direct/lead) corporates to conduct business online effectively, getting business-related travel back to pre-pandemic (before the pandemic) levels will be a tough ask. Restoring visitor confidence through enforcement (imposition, implementation, execution) of COVID-19 protocols (procedure, convention; pattern, method, system) and widening vaccination (treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization) coverage alone may not be enough. Estimates show that indirect taxes take away 21% of airlines’ revenue, hobbling (restrict/control/limit the activity or development of something) the sector. Lowering ATF prices by cutting duties is an option the Government must weigh (consider, contemplate, think about, give thought to, deliberate about, mull over, chew over, reflect on). Everything must be done to woo (pursue, tempt, coax, persuade, seek the support of, try to win, try to attract) back more tourists.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.the skies (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आसमान, हवाई क्षेत्र
English Meaning - airspace.

2.resumption (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पुनरारंभ, फिर से शुरू करना
English Meaning - reopening, restarting, recommencement.

3.hospitality (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अतिथि सेवा, आदर, सत्कार
English Meaning - an industry that includes restaurants, hotels, casinos, amusement parks, events, cruises, entertainment, and other tourism-related services.

4.scheduled flights (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुसूचित उड़ानें
English Meaning - (commercial) flights by the aircraft company on a regular basis (schedule) for the public transport of passengers, mail or cargo. The departure times are fixed and so is the routing. Flight details are very static and standard.

5.among (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के बीच में
English Meaning - one of, some of, amongst.

6.pandemic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वैश्विक महामारी
English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

7.International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर्राष्ट्रीय वायु परिवहन संघ
English Meaning - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 290 airlines or 83% of total air traffic.

8.estimate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आकलन, अनुमान
English Meaning - roughly calculate, approximate, guess, evaluate.

9.due to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - इस कारण, की वजह से
English Meaning - because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of.

10.accompanying (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - साथ में, परिचर, सह-अस्तित्व
English Meaning - attendant, coexisting, coincident, coincidental, concomitant, concurrent.

11.domestic (verb)

Hindi Meaning - घरेलू, राष्ट्रीय, राज्य
English Meaning - national, state, not international.

12.mobility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गतिशीलता, परिवहन योग्यता
English Meaning - transportability.

13.largely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - काफी हद तक, व्यापक रूप से, विस्तार से
English Meaning - mostly, mainly, generally.

14.evident (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रत्यक्ष, स्पष्ट
English Meaning - visible, apparent, clear, obvious.

15.foreign exchange earnings (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विदेशी मुद्रा आय
English Meaning - monetary gain made by selling goods and services or by exchanging currencies in global markets

16.wide open (phrase)

English Meaning - fully open.

17.non-scheduled flights (noun)

English Meaning - charter flights; non-scheduled flights are hired by individual passengers for their special purpose; flights as per the schedule of the individual passengers to meet their needs. The departure times and final destinations are set as per the individual agreement between the hirer and the aircraft company.

18.resume (verb)

English Meaning - restart, start again, recommence.

19.hit (verb)

English Meaning - affect badly.

20.aviation (noun)

English Meaning - air transport.

21.curb (noun)

English Meaning - control, restraint, check, restriction, limitation.

22.overseas (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a foreign country.

23.feed off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - support, strengthen, fortify.

24.lockdown (noun)

English Meaning - an emergency protocol implemented by the authorities that prevents people from leaving from a place; An extended state of confinement/encirclement/isolation of a person by the authority.

25.foreign exchange (forex or FX) (noun)

English Meaning - foreign exchange is exchanging the currency of one country for another at prevailing exchange rates.

26.plummet (verb)

English Meaning - fall, plunge, nosedive, tumble suddenly.

27.open up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - make available, make accessible.

28.coincide (verb)

English Meaning - occur simultaneously, happen together, coexist.

29.intensification (noun)

English Meaning - escalation, aggravation, exacerbation.

30.sanctions (noun)

English Meaning - action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc .

31.in the wake of (phrase)

English Meaning - as a result of, in the aftermath of, as a consequence of.

32.invasion (noun)

English Meaning - occupation, conquering, capture, seizure, annexation, annexing, takeover.

33.in turn (phrase)

English Meaning - successively, sequentially.

34.soar (verb)

English Meaning - rise, increase (quickly).

35.crude oil (noun)

English Meaning - the raw natural resource that is extracted from the earth and refined into products such as gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and other petroleum products.

36.global value chains (GVC) (noun)

English Meaning - International production, trade and investments are increasingly organised within so-called global value chains (GVCs) where the different stages of the production process are located across different countries. (also known as the global supply chain).

37.zoom (verb)

English Meaning - rise sharply.

38.aviation turbine fuel (ATF) (noun)

English Meaning - a specialized byproduct of crude or petroleum used to power aircraft.

39.jump (verb)

English Meaning - rise, go up.

40.year-on-year (adjective)

English Meaning - year over year (for comparison).

41.state-owned (adjective)

English Meaning - government-owned, state-run.

42.soar (verb)

English Meaning - increase rapidly, shoot up, rise rapidly, escalate.

43.constitute (verb)

English Meaning - comprise, make up, compose, add up to, account for, represent.

44.certain (adjective)

English Meaning - unquestionable, sure, definite.

45.margin (noun)

English Meaning - profit margin.

46.viability (verb)

English Meaning - practicality, workability, feasibility (to work successfully).

47.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - war, armed conflict, battle, fighting.

48.trigger (verb)

English Meaning - bring about, cause, prompt, set off.

49.jump (noun)

English Meaning - rise, increase.

50.potentially (adverb)

English Meaning - likely, possibly, probably.

51.quicken (verb)

English Meaning - speed up, accelerate, step up.

52.inflation (noun)

English Meaning - simply meaning “cost of living”; an increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value.

53.bound to (adjective)

English Meaning - sure, likely, guaranteed.

54.seep into (verb)

English Meaning - permeate, flow, drain into.

55.budget (verb)

English Meaning - allocate, allot, assign, designate, set aside.

56.given (preposition)

English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

57.uncertainty (noun)

English Meaning - unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness.

58.residual (adjective)

English Meaning - lingering, lasting, enduring, abiding, persisting.

59.variant (noun)

English Meaning - different or form or version or mutant of something (virus).

60.novel coronavirus (nCoV) (SARS-CoV-2) (noun)

English Meaning - a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. (Courtesy: WHO)

61.add to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - increase, exacerbate, aggravate, inflame, worsen, make worse, compound.

62.steer (verb)

English Meaning - guide, conduct, direct/lead.

63.pre-pandemic (noun)

English Meaning - before the pandemic.

64.a big/tough ask (phrase)

English Meaning - a difficult task.

65.enforcement (noun)

English Meaning - imposition, implementation, execution.

66.protocol (noun)

English Meaning - procedure, convention; pattern, method, system.

67.vaccination (noun)

English Meaning - treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.

68.hobble (verb)

English Meaning - restrict/control/limit the activity or development of something.

69.weigh (verb)

English Meaning - consider, contemplate, think about, give thought to, deliberate about, mull over, chew over, reflect on.

70.woo (verb)

English Meaning - pursue, tempt, coax, persuade, seek the support of, try to win, try to attract.