After stopping operations earlier this month, Jet Airways technically isn’t gone forever. There are still some who want to see the airline gain additional financing in order to resume operations.
While there are some indicators Jet Airways could fly again, it seems unlikely given the current situation.
Jet Airways had a lot of debt and very little cash. India’s all out price war, with fares as low as a few cents, meant that there was an incredibly slim margin for profit.
Unfortunately, the market just didn’t work for Jet Airways. They invested in new aircraft, including the 737 MAX, and broadened their international partnerships. With a robust route network, Jet Airways thought they could be India’s top carrier.
Also burdening Jet Airways were high fuel costs and high taxes. Jet Airways simply could not make a profit. They teetered and tottered for months before finally seeing their fleet depleted.
In the days prior to their official suspension, only a handful of aircraft were operating and zero international routes were scheduled.
There has been a movement to resurrect Jet Airways. Former Jet Airways staff engaged in protests to get the airline up and running again. Jet Airways had a sizeable staff who are now faced with major uncertainty.
While some crew members went off to rival carriers, like SpiceJet, others are still looking for opportunities.
Jet Airways relied heavily on Etihad Airways for investment. Etihad itself faces significant financial concerns, yet somehow found Jet Airways worth sustaining. Over the years, they have put millions of dollars into the airline.
However, after the collapse of the airline and Etihad’s ongoing losses, it doesn’t seem like Etihad would want to resurrect the carrier before they get on solid financial footing themselves.
Etihad could always partner with an Indian conglomerate as Singapore Airlines did with their investment in Vistara. This could give Etihad some additional security since they wouldn’t necessarily be the ones pumping in funding for Jet Airways.
Jet Airways seems to be running out of luck and time for a new investor. With rival carriers descending on Jet’s valuable assets such as planes and the valuable slots at crowded airports, Jet Airways would face significant headwinds if they restarted operations.
This would definitely worry investors, especially as Indian airlines continue to miss out on record profits that other carriers see.
This is the question that aviation analysts and investors are grappling with. Jet Airways has a lost a lot in terms of positive name recognition, reputation, and key assets.
A new Jet Airways would have to reassure travelers that they can trust the carrier with their travel plans.
India’s aviation market is already quite crowded. State run Air India doesn’t seem to need to focus on turning a profit and low-cost carriers account for a significant market share.
As a result, it would be necessary for Jet Airways to define themselves as something different to what India already has. The problem is that Jet Airways doesn’t really have anything new and unique to offer travelers that current carriers cannot provide.
Delta Airlines recently announced a return to India. Though still vague on a few details, Delta plans to fly from New York to Mumbai. Mumbai was a major hub for Jet Airways. Thus, it made sense for Delta to connect the cities since there would be strong connecting opportunities.
Jet Airways has closely worked with Delta and KLM.
In the aftermath of Jet’s collapse, it seemed highly unlikely that Delta would return to Mumbai. Previously, it was reported that Delta may have some interest in Jet Airways and had a codesharing partnership with the carrier.
However, now that Delta is returning to Mumbai, it could be possible that they will have a role in resurrecting Jet Airways. Now, while there are no official reports or even rumors indicating Delta is seriously considering this.
While many would like to see Jet Airways resume operations, it seems highly unlikely, it may be the end of Jet Airways forever.
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Showing posts with label jet airways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jet airways. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 May 2019
Monday, 15 April 2019
INDIA: SpiceJet Luring Jet Airways Pilots And Engineers At Lower Pays
Spicejet is now hiring engineers and pilots at much lower pay than their current salaries at the financialy-troubled Jet.
Pilots from Jet Airways are being asked to take salary cuts of 25-30 per cent, while engineers have been advised to settle at 50 per cent of their current pay package.
Not long ago, many airlines including SpiceJet were luring the same pilots and engineers with joining bonuses and better perks.
The prospect of closure is certainly one of the reasons for professionals agreeing to take salary cuts. But average salaries at Jet Airways have also been higher than the industry level, a top aviation source said.
A senior aircraft maintenance engineer who has applied to SpiceJet and Air India Express for a job said that he has got an offer in the range of 150,000 to 200,000 a month while his current cost to company (CTC) at Jet Airways is nearly 400,000 a month.
The offer is much lower. It will certainly be a forced choice. We are hoping that some investor would take over Jet and our salaries will remain protected, he said.
A SpiceJet executive said that the budget carrier was offering salaries based on their own structure and not the highly inflated one paid by Jet Airways.
Pilots with 4-5 years of experience are going to other airlines as they are feeling the pinch of salary delays.
They have loans and other financial commitments so they are looking for places where there is certainty of jobs and timely salary payment.
Not many senior level pilots have so far left Jet Airways. They are reluctant to go to either SpiceJet, IndiGo or Air India Express as they feel their seniority and salary will be impacted. They do not want to sign 3-5 year bonds, he said.
The flying veteran noted that many co-pilots who do not have much experience generally get about 2.9 lakh salary month at Jet Airways, and they are willing to join other airlines for even less than 2 lakh a month.
Among various domestic airlines, only Air India Express and SpiceJet operate Boeing fleets, apart from Jet Airways.
Those operating Airbus aircraft fear huge conversion costs for both pilots and engineers and are, thus, reluctant to hire the technical personnel from Jet.
We will have to train them for flying and maintenance of Airbus aircraft. In case of pilots, it will need six months of training, while for engineers the reskilling would take 3-4 months.
This means the salary for entire training period will be a huge cost for us, said an executive of a private airline operating Airbus planes.
But aviation experts feel that the current situation is temporary and it will normalise once Jet gets back on its feet.
This is an unusual situation because Jet Airways remains almost grounded. Normally, supply and demand have been in favour of pilots and engineers. Now, it depends on how quickly Jet restarts again.
If that happens things will stabilise. I won't be surprised if many pilots and engineers go back to Jet, said Rajan Mehra, a veteran aviation professional and Chief Executive Officer Club One Air.
Saddled with mounting debt and losses, Jet Airways is fighting for its survival.
The airline is in gradual descent and staring at closure with nearly 90 per cent of its fleet on the ground.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: What Is Happening At Jet Airways
The trade union, which has more than 1,100 pilots of the airline as its members, also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help in saving 20,000 jobs at stake.
The SBI-led group of lenders had last month taken control of the airline and agreed to provide an immediate funding support of Rs. 1,500 crore.
Cash-strapped Jet Airways' management is meeting its group of lenders, led by the State Bank of India, on Monday. The lenders are meeting to decide whether to release crucial funds to keep the debt ridden airline flying as it teeters on the brink of collapse.
Jet Airways' employees staged a protest in Mumbai demanding that the debt-laden airline be saved from shutting down.
Meanwhile, a report suggested that SpiceJet is hiring engineers and pilots at much lower pay than their current salaries at the financially-troubled Jet.
Pilots from Jet Airways are being asked to take salary cuts of 25-30 per cent while engineers have been advised to settle at 50 per cent of their current pay package.
The SBI-led consortium is trying to find a buyer for Jet, which was until recently the country's second-biggest airline by market share.
The meeting also assumes significance as it comes amid thousands of passengers being stranded after the cancellation of international flights in the last few days.
Hundreds of staff protested in Delhi and Mumbai over the weekend demanding to be paid and calling for the company to be rescued.
The airline has only seven jets left after dozens of others were seized by creditors in recent weeks. Pilots, engineers, and ground staff who have not been paid for three months and have said they will call for a strike if the banks do not inject emergency funds.
A deadline passed on Friday for prospective bidders to express an interest in acquiring a 75 per cent stake in the carrier.
The Prime Minister's Office had last Friday convened a crisis meeting on Friday evening.
Jet Airways shares rose as much as 1.48 per cent on Monday. At 11:42 am, the Jet Airways stock traded 0.46 per cent higher at Rs. 262.05 apiece on the NSE, outperforming the broader markets which were up 0.24 per cent.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: From 124 Planes In December, Jet Now Operating 6 ATR Turboprop Planes And One Boeing 737.
Jetair is the general sales agency (GSA) that birthed Jet Airways.
On Friday, the bid from the Future Trend-Jetair consortium came in at 6:08 pm, eight minutes after the deadline for submitting expressions of interest (EoIs).
Jet’s lenders may weigh this factor, among others, while selecting investors for the airline that is desperately seeking fresh capital.
Not much is known about Future Trend, it is believed to have pockets deep enough to propose an interest in bidding for Jet.
Sources said Adi Partners, a London-based firm, is also associated with the consortium of Jetair and Future Trend.
According to the conditions in the bidding document, an investor needs to have a net worth of Rs 1,000 crore and allotted funds of Rs 1,000 crore more to invest in Jet.
Technically, there is nothing that stops Goyal and his associates from bidding. The forensic report has so far not gone against him.
Also, Jet Airways is not a case under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code that bars existing promoters from re-entering. But after being almost nudged out from the board and management, it’ a call the bankers would have to take, said a banker.
Founded in 1974, Jetair was Goyal’s powerful GSA that represented as many as 17 global airlines before it spawned Jet Airways in the 1990s.
Its current interests, according to its website, include Jetair Tours and Jetfleet — a car rental service. Jetfleet, on its website, describes Jetair as an aviation services group that includes Jet Airways as an affiliate.
According to another banker, one of the options to salvage Jet Airways would be to bring in multiple, unconnected investors.
Investments by Etihad Airways, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, and a private equity fund like TPG Capital or Indigo Partners with each holding 24% or less in the expanded equity pool could be a way to avoid an open offer.
Etihad, for instance, does not want to raise its stake beyond 24%.
Etihad has said it does not want its shareholding in Jet Airways to touch 25% as that would necessitate an open offer for another 20%.
Also, it cannot exceed the threshold of 49%, which is the upper limit for a foreign airline’s investment in an Indian carrier. TPG Capital and Indigo Partners were among the companies that submitted EoIs.
Etihad, UAE’s second-largest airline, currently owns 24% in Jet Airways.
The lenders are also poring over a request from Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube to release interim funding of Rs 1,000 crore.
With the Supreme Court striking down RBI’s February 12, 2018, circular based on which the initial revival plan for Jet was structured banks are trying to address the issue relating to conversion of loans into equity at Rs 1.
The RBI directive had permitted such an option for rejigging debt of companies whose net worth had been wiped out.
Jet shares closed at Rs 260.45 on Friday on the BSE.
According to Manish Raniga, an independent aviation consultant and former vice president of Jet, Jet Airways has every chance of survival provided banks give the much-needed interim funding.
Failure to do so will impact customer experience and add to the list of turnaround activities required to stabilise the business for longterm viability. Potential investors may find Jet less attractive if operations worsen.
The airline is now operating just 6 ATR turboprop planes and one Boeing 737 on its local routes. It had a fleet of 124 planes in December.
Pilots affiliated to a lobbying body on Sunday threatened to boycott operations from midnight over unpaid salaries. The strike was called off in the evening in the hope the lenders will agree to release funds in their meeting with the Jet management on Monday.
The pilots and other crew members, however, plan to gather outside Jet’s corporate office in Mumbai at 9:30 am on Monday. There was a similar gathering on Friday, where upset employees demanded an update on salary arrears.
Jet’s pilots took out a peaceful march outside the Delhi airport on Saturday. Employees have not been paid salaries since January.
Meanwhile, the airline announced the resignation of independent director Rajshree Pathy, chairman, Rajshree Sugars and Chemicals, from its board effective April 13 “owing to time constraints.
The airline has Gaurang Shetty as whole-time director and Robin Kamark as Etihad’s representative, apart from former aviation secretary Ashok Chawla, former director general of civil aviation Nasim Zaidi and former State Bank of India executive Sharad Sharma on its board, according to its website.
Tourism Observer
Friday, 12 April 2019
INDIA: Jet Airways Cancels All International Flights
Hundreds of Passengers are stranded in India and around the world after Jet Airways suspended all international flights.
Flights from London, Paris and Amsterdam are among those grounded amid fears about the survival of India's largest private airline.
The airline cancelled all international flights until Monday when, according to reports, it will meet its lenders again to try to secure funding.
Jet Airways is saddled with more than $1bn (£765m) of debt.
It is seeking a financial lifeline to avoid collapse and, on Thursday, grounded 10 planes over unpaid fees to leasing firms .
These were the latest flights to be grounded and it was not clear how many of its fleet of more than 100 planes was still in operation. Local reports suggested that it was barely a dozen.
The airline flies on 600 domestic and 380 international routes - but carriers in India must maintain a fleet of least 20 aircraft to continue to operate international services.
From London, the airline initially confirmed it had cancelled its flights between London, Paris and Amsterdam and India for 12 April, but later said that all international flights would be cancelled between 12 and 15 April.
It said it regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers and was working to minimise guest inconvenience.
The airline's management and its key stakeholders including its consortium of lenders, continue to work closely towards resolving the current situation, it said.
There was no statement about the status of domestic flights.
Television channels in India reported that the prime minister's office had called for an urgent meeting to discuss the airline.
They also reported remarks by government officials saying Jet Airways only had funds to operate six to seven aircraft over the weekend.
India's Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu, had tweeted that his ministry would review issues related to Jet Airways and take necessary steps to minimise passenger inconvenience and ensure their safety.
Television channels in India reported that the prime minister's office had called for an urgent meeting to discuss the airline.
They also reported remarks by government officials saying Jet Airways only had funds to operate six to seven aircraft over the weekend.
India's Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu, had tweeted that his ministry would review issues related to Jet Airways and take necessary steps to minimise passenger inconvenience and ensure their safety.
Jet Airways owes money to employees and suppliers and in recent weeks it has grounded aircraft and cancelled thousands of flights as its financial strains worsened.
The pilots union in India is planning a protest on Saturday and has written to the airline demanding that employees are paid. Staff of the airline were pictured by Priyanka Iyer of Business Television India marching to the company's headquarters in Mumbai.
In March, when the crisis at Jet Airways led to thousands of flights being cancelled, the government immediately stepped in and asked public sector banks to rescue the private carrier.
It was a rare move. With India holding a national election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government did not want the airline to be grounded as that would have affected 23,000 jobs.
The lenders which took control of the airline have only released a fraction of the amount they had promised so the airline has not been able to pay aircraft leasing companies, which means its fleet has shrunk further from more than 100 it had at the start of the year.
The lenders have started accepting bids from potential investors, but that process will take a couple of months to complete. And many analysts fear that Jet Airways will not survive even a week if immediate cash is not provided to keep the operations running.
The airline was founded by Naresh Goyal more than 25 years ago and he and his family currently own 52% of the airline, although that majority stake is expected to be lost as lenders' restructure the debt.
A consortium of investors led by the State Bank of India (SBI) took control of the airline in March.
The group is searching for a new investor to acquire a stake of up to 75% in Jet Airways. The deadline for bids had been extended to Friday, according to reports.
Ellis Taylor, deputy Asia editor of Flight Global siad the airline was in a precarious position.
The interim lifeline that the carrier talked about two weeks ago looks like it won't materialise any time soon, and that really leaves its future looking bleak, he said.
There were reports in local media that India's aviation ministry might review the regulations setting the fleet cap, which could allow the airline to resume international services.
Tourism Observer
Monday, 31 December 2018
INDIA: Jet Airways Wants Short-term Loan From State Bank Of India
The full-service carrier is in talks with the country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) to raise 15 billion rupees (US$214.9 million) to meet its working capital requirements and fulfill some payment obligations.
Jet’s strategic partner, Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi, which holds a 24% stake in the airline, is likely to serve as a guarantor for the loan.
Interestingly SBI, which is the lead lender of the airline, had a fortnight ago ordered Ernst & Young to conduct a forensic audit of the airline’s books.
Jet Airways has posted three consecutive quarterly losses of more than 10 billion rupees since March 2018, and as of September 30 had 80.52 billion rupees of debt on its books.
Jet Airways has a backlog of more than two months in unpaid salaries to its senior staff, including pilots and engineers.
The airline is also negotiating with overseas lenders to raise $350 million with Etihad again acting as guarantor.
The airline’s founder, Naresh Goyal, is looking to infuse capital in such a way that he does not have to lose control of Jet Airways, which he set up 25 years ago.
Earlier, the salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Sons had expressed a desire to acquire the airline, but wanted Goyal to relinquish his controlling stake, which was not acceptable to the airline’s founder.
Tourism Observer
Sunday, 30 December 2018
INDIA: Jet Airways And Its Woes
In additoin to financial problems, Jet Airways has as well had ups and downs over safety and tax issues.
Jet Airways has been in the red for two consecutive quarters and is also under market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) lens.
Jet Airways issues are not particular to the airline but symptomatic of a larger malaise. The Indian aviation sector is facing economic headwinds in the form of rising global oil prices and a depreciating rupee.
Jet, for instance, had debt of Rs7,364 crore ($1.01 billion) on its books as of June.
Given its precarious financial position, the airline was reported to have even considered slashing salaries. On Sep. 19, it announced that there would not be free meals on economy class bookings done from Sept. 25.
Things have gone wrong with India’s second-largest carrier by market share in the last six months.
March 2018, Jet Airways reported a loss of Rs1,036 crore in the Jan-March quarter as revenue declines and costs increase significantly. The company defers the March salaries of some employees citing circumstances beyond its control.
April 2018,Gave up bidding for Air India citing the complex process.
May 2018, Government refused to approve Jet’s merger with its subsidiary JetLite, nearly three years after the proposal was made.
June 2018, Jet announced new check-in baggage norms. The 15kg of free check-in luggage for economy class will have to be in one bag. Business class passengers can carry 30kg in two bags.
August 2018, Considers a 25% pay cut for employees.
August 2018, Indefinitely defers announcement of financial results for the April-June quarter of financial year 2019.
August 2018, On Aug. 12, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation announces an audit to assess Jet’s financial health. State Bank of India asks the firm to provide enough collateral for emergency funding.
August 2018, On Aug. 27, the company announces losses of Rs1,323 crore for the April-June 2018 period.
September 2018, On Sep.19, the income-tax department conducts surveys in the company’s Mumbai and Delhi offices over allegations of financial misappropriation.
September 2018, On Sep. 20 about 30 passengers on a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur suffer nose and ear bleeding after the cabin crew forgets to activate the internal pressure control. India’s civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu orders a safety audit of all airlines and airports.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: Tatas’ Love For Air India
In 2013, after staying on the sidelines for over six decades, the salt-to-software conglomerate returned to India’s aviation sector through two joint venture (JV) partnerships with Malaysia-based AirAsia Bhd and Singapore Airlines.
The Tata group had founded Air India (AI), then Tata Airlines, in 1932, which the Indian government took control of in 1953. Ever since, the group had stayed out of the airline business.
Now, it is eyeing a bigger slice of India’s aviation pie. On Oct. 10, chairman N Chandrasekharan said that his group would consider acquiring the beleaguered national carrier Air India.
This isn’t the first time that the Tatas have shown interest in AI, currently India’s fourth-largest airline by market share. In 2000, the group partnered with Singapore Airlines to bid for a 40% stake in the company, but the plan didn’t materialize as Singapore Airlines withdrew.
We will definitely look at it (AI), Chandrasekaran said. We still don’t have all the details. Every business proposal will be very seriously looked at and we will look at that (AI). Definitely.
But currently we don’t have the data there are so many different groups within Air India, and then there is real estate, there is debt, there is liabilities, and we got to look at all of that but we will definitely look at it.
The $103 billion Tata Sons’ interest in AI could have stemmed from the lacklustre showing of AirAsia and Vistara. Together, they have a domestic market share of only 7.6% with a fleet of 29 aircraft. This is significantly lower than market leader IndiGo’s 38% with 138 aircraft.
We need to look at aviation as a whole, Chandrasekaran said. We are subscale. We got two airlines both are subscale. Any decision that we take—Air India or otherwise—we have to have a story because we can’t be operating with 15 aircraft or 20 aircraft.
The Tata group owns 51% of Vistara, with Singapore Airlines in control of the rest. In AirAsia India, it owns 49%, while the rest is held by Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd.
Over the past few years, both Vistara and AirAsia India have been looking at international operations but have been held up by regulatory hurdles, hampering business and profitability.
India’s aviation norms require an airline to deploy 20 aircraft, or 20% of its fleet, on domestic routes before it can take off on international routes. Vistara and AirAsia India have only 16 and 13 aircraft respectively.
You have got to give them time as far as their investments in AirAsia India and Vistara goes, Mark Martin, founder of Martin Consulting, an aviation consultancy based in Dubai, said about the Tata group’s investments in the aviation sector.
But, if and when Air India is bought out by Tata, it would be one massive and mega monolithic turnaround for the airline because the Tatas are the only people capable of turning around such an airline.
Buying AI will give the Tata group access to a sizeable fleet that can operate both at home and abroad. The government airline flies to nearly 41 international and 72 domestic destinations.
It is also India’s single largest international carrier with a 17% market share of the overseas routes from the country and operates 119 aircraft. But, bogged down by debt following an ill-advised merger in 2007, it has been struggling for survival.
The Tata group’s core strategy currently involves building a strong brand globally. And what better than an airline that flies to every part of the world, particularly the Americas and Africa? That’s the opportunity Air India brings to the table for the Tatas, Martin said.
India is currently the world’s ninth-largest aviation market. Domestic air travel is expected to grow 9.5% annually between 2011 and 2031, according to aircraft maker Airbus. Currently, only about 2% of India’s population uses airlines, providing a massive opportunity to expand the market.
The prospects for Air India’s privatization seem to be going from bad to worse.
Days after India’s largest airline IndiGo declared that it lacks the capability to turn the country’s state-run airline around, the private player’s closest competitor by market share, Jet Airways, pulled out of the race.
We welcome the government move to privatise Air India. It is a bold step. However, considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on our review, we are not participating in the process, Amit Agarwal, Jet Airways’ deputy CEO said
Earlier this year, Ajay Singh, chairman of low-cost carrier SpiceJet, had also told CNBC-TV18 that it is too small to bid for the Maharajah.
With three heavyweights out, few aviation space players remain in the race for Air India. And all eyes are now on the airline’s founder itself: the Tata Group.
Last year, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekharan had made his group’s interest known when he said it would definitely look at buying Air India.
I do not think any player in India, apart from the Tata group, has the management ability to turn around an airline like Air India. Tata also has the strategic leadership, financial foresight, and consumer connect to drive traffic, said Mark Martin, head of aviation consultancy firm Martin Consulting.
The group, he said, can either individually bid for Air India, or form a consortium with a foreign airline.
The Tata group, India’s largest diversified conglomerate, had total revenues of around Rs673,350 crore ($100 billion) as of financial year 2017.
It went into aviation in the 1930s with the launch of Tata Airlines, which was later nationalised and rebranded as Air India. In 2014, it partnered with AirAsia Behrad to launch AirAsia India. A year later, its joint venture with Singapore airlines, Vistara, took flight.
If the Tatas, too, opt out, government will have to look for alternatives.
One option could be one or more foreign airlines teaming up with Indian financiers, Martin explained. Airlines like Qatar airways can partner with private equity firms, for instance, and bid for Air India, he said.
A foreign airline can only have up to a 49% stake in Air India, with ownership and effective control of the airline resting with an Indian entity.
However, some experts believe the sale terms need to be overhauled.
The government may have to reconsider separating the domestic operations from the ground-handling services and international operations, Dhiraj Mathur, partner at PwC India said.
Additionally, low-cost players do not necessarily want to enter the full-service airline business, Mathur said. Therefore government will likely have to change the terms if it wants Indian players to participate.
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India headquartered at New Delhi. It is owned by Air India Limited, a government-owned enterprise, and operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving 94 domestic and international destinations.
The airline has its hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, alongside several focus cities across India. Air India is the largest international carrier out of India with an 18.6% market share.
Over 60 international destinations are served by Air India across four continents. Additionally, the carrier is the third largest domestic airline in India in terms of passengers carried after IndiGo and Jet Airways with a market share of 13.5% as of July 2017.
The airline became the 27th member of Star Alliance on 11 July 2014.
The airline was founded by J. R. D. Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932; Tata himself flew its first single-engine de Havilland Puss Moth, carrying air mail from Karachi to Bombay's Juhu aerodrome and later continuing to Madras currently Chennai.
After World War II, it became a public limited company and was renamed as Air India. On 21 February 1960, it took delivery of its first Boeing 707 named Gauri Shankar and became the first Asian airline to induct a jet aircraft in its fleet.
In 2000–01, attempts were made to privatise Air India and from 2006 onwards, it suffered losses after its merger with Indian Airlines.
Air India also operates flights to domestic and Asian destinations through its subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express. Air India's mascot is the Maharajah (Emperor) and the logo consists of a flying swan with the wheel of Konark inside it.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: Parliamentary Panel Criticizes Airlines For Overcharging, Misbehavior, Long Ques, And Poor Food
A parliamentary panel on Dec. 27 criticised aviation firms for overcharging, staff misbehaviour, unsatisfactory check-in, and poor luggage collection services, among other things.
What the passenger wants is a quick check-in, without long queues, and a smooth process of security check. Despite the huge claims of airlines regarding the check-in process, the committee is compelled to observe that the check-in counters are in a mess, especially those of low-cost airlines such as IndiGo, said the parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism, and culture in a report (pdf) tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian parliament.
It mentioned incidents of a few private airlines deliberately creating long queues at check-in counters to ensure that passengers miss their flights, and then persuading them to buy exorbitantly priced tickets for the next available ones.
The report recommended that the number of check-in counters and people deployed at the counters must be directly proportional to the number of flights each airline operates from an airport.
However, responding to the panel’s observations, the government indicated it may not be able to do much about it.
Check-in process, check-in counters, and collection of luggage are commercial issues and the government does not interfere with the commercial activities of the airlines.
Further, there is no regulation issued by the aviation regulator, DGCA or directorate general of civil aviation in this regard, the ministry of civil aviation was quoted in the report.
The parliamentary committee had other complaints, too.
It came down heavily on low-cost airlines for providing unsatisfactory food, even when passengers are charged for it. Every airline should maintain the highest quality of food and they should also change the menu occasionally instead of keeping a cold sandwich in their menu throughout the year, the report said.
It noted that since there are no uniform standards for imposing charges for rescheduling, cancellation, and no-show, such levies by airlines are often arbitrary today. Airlines should not charge over 50% of the base fare as cancellation charges, it suggested.
The committee pulled up IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, for staff misbehaviour.
Our committee is very clear that the worst performing airline for consumers is IndiGo. They haven’t responded in spite of many complaints. IndiGo even charges for 1-2 kg overweight, this has not been taken very well and the committee is looking into the matter seriously, chairman of the committee, and member of parliament, Derek O’Brien said at a press conference after the report was tabled in parliament.
IndiGo, however, defended itself. We evaluate every complaint/feedback rigorously and develop training modules keeping the customer sentiment in mind, IndiGo responded.
The report comes at a time when most major airlines in the country are trying to cut corners and squeeze the last penny out of their various services, struggling as they are on multiple fronts.
Profitability in the industry has taken a severe beating as companies battle high fuel prices and unfavourable currency exchange rates. Airliners like IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Jet Airways have seen their finances worsen in the past two quarters.
The lawmakers’ criticism is something the industry could have dealt with before, to avoid such critisism.
However, the commitee The Committee is happy to note that the heliport at Rohini has been operationalized.
The Committee is of the view that the helicopter industry has tremendous potential to provide services in the tourism sector, disaster management etc.
The Committee desires that more such heliports may be set up throughout the country. The Committee reiterates its earlier
recommendation that Air India and Pawan Hans can work together to ensure seamless travel on hub and spokes basis- bringing passengers from smaller places to various tourist spots.
The Committee feels that the development of un-served and under-served airports would give a major boost to air connectivity to various small cities and towns.
It will further give a fillip to the economic development in these areas in terms of job creation and infrastructure development.
There should not be any unreasonable restriction on the allocation of fund to the demands of the Ministry of Civil Aviation as the money spent will spur the overall growth of the country especially in view of the Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN.
The Committee takes note of the initiatives taken under RCS. Air connectivity is the main mode of transport for majority of the population of North East to other parts of the country and these States are demanding overall economic development.
The Committee feels that better air connectivity is the only solution to opening up the economy of North Eastern States. Therefore, the Committee notes that it is very essential to give a preferential treatment to the North Eastern States as far as air connectivity is concerned.
Tourism Observer
Friday, 21 September 2018
INDIA: Jet Airways Crew Forget Turning On Cabin Pressure, Passengers Bleed In Ears And Nose
The flight, travelling from Mumbai to Jaipur, turned back shortly after takeoff.
Passengers complained their safety had been completely ignored by the airline.
Videos taken inside the aircraft showed the chaos on the flight as air pressure dropped and oxygen masks came down.
The plane stopped climbing at 11,000 feet before returning to Mumbai.
Panic situation due to technical fault in Jet Airways flight going from Mumbai to Jaipur. Flight is returning back to Mumbai after 45 minutes. All passengers are safe including me, a passenger wrote.
A passenger said there had also been a problem with the plane’s air conditioning when it left Mumbai.
Another passenger Satish Nair tweeted a picture of himself with an oxygen mask on, and complained that the safety of passengers had been completely ignored by the airline.
Once he had disembarked the aircraft he said: That was horrifying and the worst incident of my life.
Passenger Joel D’Souza said i saw many people having nose bleeds.
I took off my oxygen mask for one second and felt so stuffy and hot in the cabin. There was no announcement by the crew and nobody knew what to do. It was more like a flight to hell.
He said he and other passengers had since boarded another flight.
Lalit Gupta, a senior official of India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said the crew had forgotten to select a switch to maintain cabin pressure.
The Boeing 737 aircraft, which was carrying 166 passengers, landed safely.
Passengers were immediately attended by doctors and given first aid.
Jet Airways said in a statement that Thursday morning’s flight had turned back due to loss in cabin pressure and regretted the inconvenience caused to its passengers.
It said: The B737 aircraft, with 166 guests and 5 crew landed normally in Mumbai.
All guests were deplaned safely and taken to the terminal. First aid was administered to few guests who complained of ear pain, bleeding nose etc.
Jet Airways said it had taken the cockpit crew off duty pending an investigation into the incident.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: Jet Airways Stops Complimentary Meals For Passengers
However passengers can buy their meals on-board from the airline’s menu. The customers will be served beverages – including tea and coffee – for free, Jet Airways issued a statement.
Earlier, the meal bill was included in the ticket fare for all the flyers, making the meals complimentary during the flight.
But following the suspension of free meal from September 25, the air tickets for the 2 categories – ‘economy light’ and ‘economy deal’ will be cheaper than the other categories.
The flight plus meal option for domestic flights will remain for ‘Economy Saver’, ‘Economy Classic’ and ‘Economy Flex’ and for all fare options in Premiere.
On international flights, all features and benefits under First Class, Premiere and Economy remain unchanged.
The past six months have been harrowing for India’s oldest private airline, Jet Airways.
Compounding its financial woes, the carrier plunged into fresh trouble this week over safety and tax issues.
The Naresh Goyal-promoted carrier has been in the red for two consecutive quarters and is also under market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) lens.
Jet’s issues are not particular to the airline but symptomatic of a larger malaise. The Indian aviation sector is facing economic headwinds in the form of rising global oil prices and a depreciating rupee.
Jet, for instance, had debt of Rs7,364 crore ($1.01 billion) on its books as of June. Given its precarious financial position, the airline was reported to have even considered slashing salaries.
On Sep. 19, it announced that there would not be free meals on economy class bookings done from Sept. 25.
March 2018, Jet Airways reports a loss of Rs1,036 crore in the Jan-March quarter as revenue declines and costs increase significantly. The company defers the March salaries of some employees citing circumstances beyond its control.
April 2018, Bows out of bidding for Air India citing the complex process.
May 2018, Government refuses to approve Jet’s merger with its subsidiary JetLite, nearly three years after the proposal was made.
June 2018, Jet announces new check-in baggage norms. The 15kg of free check-in luggage for economy class will have to be in one bag. Business class passengers can carry 30kg in two bags.
August 2018, Considers a 25% pay cut for employees.
August 2018, Indefinitely defers announcement of financial results for the April-June quarter of financial year 2019.
August 2018, On Aug. 12, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation announces an audit to assess Jet’s financial health. State Bank of India asks the firm to provide enough collateral for emergency funding.
August 2018, On Aug. 27, the company announces losses of Rs1,323 crore for the April-June 2018 period.
September 2018, On Sep.19, the income-tax department conducts surveys in the company’s Mumbai and Delhi offices over allegations of financial misappropriation.
September 2018, Sep. 20, around 30 passengers on a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur suffer nose and ear bleeding after the cabin crew forgets to activate the internal pressure control. India’s civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu orders a safety audit of all airlines and airports.
Tourism Observer
Thursday, 6 September 2018
INDIA: Airlines Offering Discount Offers On Domestic And International Flight Tickets
The offers come amid high competition in the country's civil aviation market. Jet Airways is offering up to 30 per cent discount on base fare in premiere and economy class on select domestic as well as international flight tickets.
IndiGo is offering flight tickets at an all-inclusive starting price of Rs. 999. GoAir is offering flight tickets from Rs. 1,099, while AirAsia India has also announced flight tickets starting from Rs. 999 on select routes.
Jet Airways is offering up to 30 per cent discount on base fare in premiere and economy class on select domestic as well as international flight tickets.
Jet Airways' all-new Global Sale is valid for bookings done till September 7, 2018. According to the airline, the discount is available on 25 lakh seats.
However, tickets must be purchased a minimum of 8 days prior departure.
IndiGo is offering flight tickets at an all-inclusive starting price of Rs. 999. As part of its four-day special festival sale, the airline is offering 10 lakh seats.
The booking period of the offer ends on September 6, 2018. Under this scheme, IndiGo is offering domestic flight tickets starting at Rs. 999 and international flight tickets starting at Rs. 3,199.
The travel period of the offer starts on September 18, 2018 and ends on March 30, 2019.
GoAir is offering flight tickets at a starting all-inclusive price of Rs. 1,099. The booking period of the offer ends on September 5, 2018 and the travel period ends on March 31, 2019.
However, this scheme is valid across selective fare types and fare products, said the carrier.
AirAsia India has announced flight tickets starting from Rs. 999 on select routes under a limited-period offer. AirAsia India is offering flight tickets priced from an all-inclusive Rs. 999 on the Guwahati-Imphal, Bengaluru-Kochi and Bengaluru-Chennai routes, according to the airline's website - airasia.com.
Bookings under the sale offer are open till September 9, 2018.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: Jet Airways Unable To Pay Staff Due To Heavy Losses, Promises To Cut Costs Of $285m Over Next Two Years
Jet Airways is promoted by Naresh Goyal.
Etihad holds 24 per cent stake yet it is facing acute cash crunch after posting two back-to back quarterly losses this year.
While its losses stood at Rs 1,036 crore in the March quarter, the losses jumped to Rs 1,300 crore in the subsequent June quarter of the current fiscal.
Withholding salaries, that too without prior notice, is a serious matter and the management will bear sole responsibility for any repercussions, Jet Airways' pilots said in a communication to the management earlier this week.
We would like to advice that failure to address the above points and not paying the salaries on time would lead to non-cooperation by pilots, they warned.
A Jet Airways' spokesperson said the management is in dialogue with the pilots and other members of its team to resolve some issues including disbursement of salaries.
Significantly, Jet Airways had delayed payment of July salaries to its staff earlier.
It had proposed an up to 25 per cent cut in salaries of its employees in late June but was forced to defer the plan following opposition from its pilots' union - National Aviator's Guild (NAG) - and engineers.
Earlier it was agreed that, henceforth, salaries would be paid on time and, if there were to be a delay, the same would be communicated to the pilots well in time, the pilots said.
We are deeply disappointed over both these conditions being violated by the management and the pilot body would be sure to share our disappointment, they said.
The pilots had written to airline chief executive Vinay Dube late last month expressing their displeasure over the unnecessary increase in expenditure in the recent times.
In the fresh letter, they have also demanded that all unnecessary positions and committees/ groups created in the last three months be dissolved with immediate effect and the hiring of the expensive expats vis-a-vis domestic pilots be stopped forthwith.
We trust you will treat the above with the urgency it deserves and take immediate steps to resolve the situation, they said in the communication.
A spokesman for the Jet, India’s oldest privately owned airline, said on Wednesday that 15 per cent of the company’s employees had not yet been paid for August, though he insisted they would be eventually.
The company said it was evaluating various funding options to address its acute financial problems a day after it made a push for extra cash flow by announcing its largest ever sale, with price cuts of up to a third on 2.5m seats.
Jet and its Indian rivals are suffering the effects of much higher fuel costs, which have been driven up by a rise in global crude oil prices and the weakening of the rupee.
In India’s fast-growing but still low-income economy, the number of airline customers is rising quickly but they remain highly sensitive to pricing. This has held back companies from raising ticket prices to reflect rising costs.
In results issued after a delay last week, Jet said net losses had grown to $189m in the second quarter and promised cost cuts of $285m over the next two years.
Jet Airways has reported a loss in seven of the past 10 years.
I’m unable to understand the viability of the current state of affairs for them, said Madhukar Ladha, an analyst at HDFC Securities, adding that the company would need a major capital infusion if it did not benefit soon from a fall in fuel prices or a rise in the rupee.
As of the end of March, Jet’s liabilities stood at Rs200.9bn, against assets of Rs129.6bn. The company is 24 per cent owned by Gulf airline Etihad, which has said it remains committed to the investment but has not given any sign that it plans to inject more capital.
Other Indian airlines have also suffered a financial downturn in recent months: in its latest set of results Indigo, the country’s most valuable private airline, reported a 97 per cent fall in pre-tax profit.
The yields of the leading airline companies have not even kept pace with inflation over the past two years, let alone the sharp increase in input costs, analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities wrote in a recent report.
The financials of the leading aviation companies have deteriorated to worrisome levels while the industry grapples with irrational pricing.
In a report published on Monday, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimated that Indian airlines would post an aggregate loss of up to $1.9bn in the current financial year.
Jet has been hit particularly hard because its fleet is older and less fuel efficient than those of rivals.
Jet is reportedly seeking a sale of its 8.5m-member loyalty scheme business, with private equity firms TPG and Blackstone showing interest.
Mr Ladha added that Jet itself might start to look like an appealing buyout target to rivals at a knockdown price reflecting its negative margins and heavy debt but that such a deal was unlikely to appeal to Naresh Goyal, the company chairman who founded it in 1992.
Tourism Observer
Monday, 3 September 2018
INDIA: Nigerian Woman Arrested With Cocaine Hidden Inside Her Private Parts, Kolkata Is Big Corridor For Banned Drugs
The woman who concealed LSD blots and cocaine in her private parts, was arrested by the Kolkata unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday evening.
David Blessing, a 30-year-old lady, was intercepted the moment she landed in Kolkata from Mumbai at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at around 9.20 PM.
NCB Kolkata Zonal Head Dilip Kumar Srivastava said, we had prior information about the lady and accordingly planned our arrest operation. Last night our officers got a lead that she was arriving from Mumbai-Kolkata Jet Airways flight. We rushed there and intercepted her.
During the search, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) lady officers found only 20 LSD blots from her bag.
But later she took out 12 grams of Cocaine from her private parts. She was having pain in her lower abdomen and revealed that more contraband substances were concealed inside her honeypot.
We immediately rushed her to a nearby hospital where her trans-honeypotl USG report confirmed the hunch.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Blessing was staying in Mumbai for the last two years on business visa and the consignment seized from her possession was meant for a person in Kolkata.
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has a few more leads and we will interrogate her once she will be released from the hospital.
It seems that she is a part of international drug racket, Srivastava said.
Of late, Kolkata seems to have become a major hub/corridor for banned drugs with over 60 arrests made this year itself. A large quantity of banned drugs has also been seized and destroyed.
Recently, five Chinese national were arrested from Kolkata station for carrying 200 kilos of ‘Amphetamine’, popularly known as the ‘dead drug’, worth Rs 40 crore.
This was for the first time when Chinese nationals were arrested in Kolkata with such a large quantity banned drugs.
On April 17, son of a well-known restaurateur and celebrity chef, along with a son of a Kolkata-based industrialist, was arrested in connection with international drug racket by the Kolkata NCB.
A large quantity of psychotropic substances, including Ecstacy, LSD blots and Psilocybin mushroom also known as ‘magic mushrooms’, were seized from their possession.
That was the first time that ‘magic mushrooms’, usually available in Mexico, South America, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia, were seized from Kolkata.
Our major concern is that the youths and school students are fast getting addicted to these substances in the city and we have to stop this,
Srivastava said.
Tourism Observer
Friday, 3 August 2018
SAUDI ARABIA: No Casualities As Jet Airways Shoots Off Runway In Riyadh
The incident affected flight 9W523 with 142 passenger and seven crew members. There were no casualties or injuries.
All aboard the Boeing B737-800 aircraft of the private carrier were safely evacuated and accommodated inside the terminal building.
The airline is working out alternate travel arrangements for the passengers from Riyadh.
Jet Airways has reported the matter to the India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and is fully cooperating with all concerned authorities.
It added that the airline’s operations across the network, including its other services from and to Riyadh, remain unaffected.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: Jet Airways Unable To Fly Beyond 2 Months Unless Staff Take Pay Cuts
The management team, including Chairman Naresh Goyal, has informed employees in face-to-face meetings in recent days in Mumbai and Delhi that the airline’s financials are in a bad shape and drastic measures needed to be taken to cut costs, citing two company executives.
The full-service carrier was believed to be in discussions with certain sections of employees on the salary cut proposal, which has been mooted amid efforts to save costs.
Jet Airways, which completed 25 years of operations earlier this year, had 16,558 permanent employees as on 31 March 2018.
Besides, there were a total of 6,306 temporary/casual employees, as per the airline's annual report for 2017-18.
In line with its stated focus of creating a healthier and a more resilient business, Jet Airways has been implementing several measures to help it reduce cost as well as realise higher revenues, for desired business efficiencies, the company said.
This was without specifically mentioning the 60-day deadline given to employees.
Jet Airways has approached investment bankers again to help sell a stake in the carrier, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter.
The airline is facing several challenges including a surge in fuel prices, a weaker rupee, and intensifying competition.
Jet Airways is looking to raise immediate cash and the transaction may include Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal offloading a part of the promoter’s stake in the company, one of the sources said on condition of anonymity.
Earlier in the week, several media reported that Jet Airways had asked its employees to take a pay cut of up to 25 percent due to rising costs.
Shares of Jet Airways today slumped nearly 6 percent in morning trade on the bourses after reports surfaced that the company's financials are in bad shape and drastic measures need to be taken to cut costs.
Shares of the company today opened on a weak note at Rs 324.80, then fell 5.72 percent to a low of Rs 312.25 on BSE, a PTI report said.
Similar movement was seen on the NSE as well, where the stock of the company opened at Rs 323.90, then fell to a low of Rs 312.15, down 5.73 percent over its previous closing price.
Tourism Observer
Wednesday, 27 June 2018
INDIA: Jet Airways Acquires First 737 MAX From Boeing
Jet Airways will be first Indian carrier to fly the new and improved 737 airplane, which delivers a double-digit improvement in fuel efficiency and improved passenger comfort.
The new 737 MAX is a critical element to our future growth strategy and we are proud to become the first airline in India to introduce this brand new airplane to our customers, said Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways.
The 737 has been the backbone of our dynamic fleet for many years and we are excited to leverage the superior capabilities of the new 737 MAX.
The improved economics and efficiency, as well as the passenger pleasing features of the MAX will enable us to strengthen our position as India’s premier airline.
This delivery marks the first of 150 737 MAX airplanes the Mumbai based airline has on order with Boeing, following two separate orders for 75 jets placed in 2015 and earlier this year.
This milestone delivery adds yet another chapter in our long and successful relationship with Jet Airways, said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Jet Airways continues to demonstrate their leadership in a highly competitive market and I am confident that these new 737 MAX airplanes will enable the airline to successfully achieve long-term growth going forward.
Jet Airways is India’s second-largest airline with a fleet of nearly 120 airplanes serving more than 60 destinations across 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and elsewhere.
The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 4,500 orders from 99 customers worldwide.
Tourism Observer
Wednesday, 30 May 2018
INDIA: Jet Airways Probed Following Complaint Of Alleged Fraudulent Practices.
In a filing to the stock exchanges today, the airline said last month the regulator sought views of the statutory auditors and the audit committee on certain allegations.
However, the carrier did not elaborate on the complaint.
The disclosure came in response to a clarification sought by the BSE on reports about alleged fraudulent practices by Jet Airways promoter Naresh Goyal and fall in its share prices.
Referring to the reports, the airline said similar allegations had earlier been communicated to it by Sebi in June 2016, based on a complaint received by the regulator.
The company had provided its response to Sebi in July 2016. No further communication was then received from Sebi in the matter, the filing said.
The airline said that in a communication on April 30, 2018, Sebi forwarded to the company another complaint received by it containing substantially similar allegations.
The regulator also sought the views and recommendations of the statutory auditors and the audit committee of the company on the same, it added.
The company has already taken necessary steps in this regard as directed by Sebi and is in communication with Sebi in the matter, the filing said.
There was no immediate response from a Jet Airways spokesperson on the issue.
After posting a Rs 1,036 crore loss in the three months ended March 2018 mainly due to high oil prices and weaker rupee, Jet Airways last week said that it may see a rise in debt for the next one or two quarters.
Shares of Jet Airways rose nearly 2 per cent to Rs 427.30 in late morning trade on the BSE.
Earlier this week, rating agency Icra lowered its credit ratings on Jet Airways' short-term and long-term loan facilities citing weakened financial performance as the airline is unable to pass on rise in jet fuel prices to the customers.
Tourism Observer
INDIA: Jet Airways Suspends 4 Pilots For Taking Selfies Midflight From Leh To Delhi
An internal investigation has been initiated by Jet Airways.
Jet Airways has reportedly grounded four of its pilots for allegedly clicking selfies on a training flight.
Though the flight wherein they allegedly clicked the photographs was a training flight without any passenger, yet the act was in violation of the norms specified for airlines.
Among the pilots grounded by Jet Airways are a senior instructor level commander and three trainee pilots.
The flight was on its way from Leh to Delhi on April 19 when the pilots clicked selfies.
An internal investigation has been initiated by Jet Airways.
This is not the first such incident involving Jet Airways that has come to light.
In 2014, one of the pilots of the airline had violated civil aviation safety guidelines by allowing his friends and colleague to not just access the cockpit area, but also click pictures with the pilots on duty.
The pilot, Sahil Arora, had posted the photographs on his Facebook timeline, inviting sharp reactions.
In one of the pictures, the pilot was seen posing with a female friend, while another person, not a pilot could be seen sitting inside the cockpit area.
In some photographs, the pilot was also seen posing inside the cockpit area with air hostesses and other crew members.
Besides, another photograph that had gone viral on social media featured Arora and another pilot sticking their upper body out from the cockpit window and clicking a selfie.
According to the norms prescribed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), not everyone can access the cockpit area of a flight.
Apart from the pilots, only DGCA inspecting officials, engineer or trainee pilots can enter the restricted zone.
Tourism Observer
USA: Delta To Launch Mumbai Flights Next Year
Delta also intends to expand its existing codeshare relationship with partner Jet Airways to provide seamless connections to other destinations within India, subject to government approvals.
The Mumbai announcement follows agreements between the U.S. and the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to address the issue of government subsidies provided to state-owned carriers in those nations.
The framework created by the agreement allows Delta to move forward with flights to India.
It is exciting to be able to announce Delta's return to India from the U.S. as part of our vision to expand Delta's reach internationally, said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.
We are thankful to the president for taking real action to enforce our Open Skies trade deals, which made this new service possible.
We are looking forward to providing customers in the U.S. and India with Delta's famously reliable, customer-focused service operated by the best employees in the industry.
The service is subject to government approval and full schedule details are expected to be announced later this year.
Tourism Observer
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