But these days, faced with one of the most savage downturns in the history of a notoriously cyclical industry, Lufthansa is desperately trying to conserve cash and cut capacity to match plunging demand.The airline recently warned that without fierce cost-cutting measures it would fail to make even an operating profit this year.
Today we need to rev up our engines of courage, battle against the fierce head winds of economic downturn, unemployment, poverty, and greed that threaten to undo the progress of the last fifty years, and stay true to the course Dr. King set for us.
"Three out of four of BT's lines of business have performed well in spite of fierce competition and the global economic downturn," Ian Livingston, BT's chief executive, said in a statement.
The varying responses to the economic downturn come amid a fierce debate in the United States over whether the country is headed toward a more European economic model, given Washington's huge support of big banks and the auto industry, as well as Mr. Obama's proposal to overhaul the health care system.
My 20 years as CEO, navigating my company from an exuberant IPO through an industry downturn, made me a fierce competitor at the bridge table and someone who could win national championships in just a few years.
Dr. Brashear's plan eventually collapsed under fierce community opposition and the recent economic downturn.
The competition for admission to business school is fierce, as many workers view an economic downturn as the perfect time to step out of the work force and earn an extra degree.
Lawsuit after lawsuit is raining down on some of them, and legal threats, fierce competition but evidently also the economic downturn and the decline in digital advertising spending is forcing some companies to shut down altogether.
This downturn's severity has been unusually fierce, and this spring it cut deeply into Arrow's profitability.
Air France, which has some of the highest labor costs among European airlines, has struggled to remain competitive in the face of the region's prolonged economic downturn, stubbornly high fuel expenses and fierce competition from the region's low-cost carriers.
