TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
India’s premier private carrier, Jet Airways celebrates a milestone of having flown over 25 million guests over the past decade between the Gulf region and India. Connecting with some of the most important cities and states in India, Jet Airways aspires to further enhance their operations in the Gulf region.
TT BUREAU
The first Jet Airways flight 9W 592 landed in Bahrain in 2008, marking an important milestone for the airline, as it was the first privately-owned Indian carrier to provide direct air connectivity between the Gulf region and India. Over time, the airline expanded services to include Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh and Sharjah to its Gulf network. In the course of completing a decade of successful operations, Jet Airways has flown nearly 200,000 flights, carrying over 25 million guests between India and the Gulf region. Today, the airline operates 600+ weekly flights on 33 unique routes between India and the Gulf.
Shakir Kantawala, Vice President–Gulf, Middle East & Africa, Jet Airways, said, “We are delighted at having completed a decade of successful operations in the Gulf which have played a significant role not only in growing our business but also in the realisation of the airline’s vision of connecting India with the world. Today, we are the preferred carrier on the Indo-Gulf sector and remain committed towards maintaining that position. We take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all the regional Gulf Governments as well their national Civil Aviation authorities for constant g u i d a n c e and encouragement. We also thank all our patrons – the vast multitude of expatriate Indians who travel us while visiting families and friends, as well as the travel trade community, for their unstinted support that has stood us in good stead.”
Kantawala also added, “We would like to reiterate our commitment to providing guests from the Gulf region an exceptional flying experience, characterised by convenience, seamless connections to India and the world, and Jet Airways’ trademark spirit of Indian hospitality. Our operations in the Gulf provide a unique gateway for connecting to not just 44 destinations in India but also onwards to Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, and Singapore in the East and the Far East. In addition, our codeshares and interline partnerships with leading airlines help us connect our guests to several other destinations in Africa, Europe and North America.”
With the Gulf accounting for over nearly 50 percent of the originating air traffic to/ from India*, the region represents a huge market in terms of passengers. Along with its strategic partner– Etihad Airways, Jet Airways is the most preferred carrier on the Indo-Gulf sector. Additionally, with growing economic ties between India and countries in the Gulf, Jet Airways is expanding its cargo operations on this sector, in tandem.
The airline offers over 1700 tons of weekly cargo capacity on the India – Gulf – India route, using a mix of B-737 and Airbus A330 services. Commodity mix from India to Gulf includes perishables like fruits, vegetables, meat, and consignments like courier, garments, fabrics, pharmaceuticals. Valuable comprising of jewelry, as also leather and leather products are uplifted as cargo capacity on the India – Gulf routes. Out of the Gulf destinations, cargo items on shipment to India comprise of Courier consignments, unaccompanied baggage, and miscellaneous items. The percentage growth in the dense India – Gulf market has been rather impressive over the last ten years, where uplift/tonnage ex-India has notched up to 462 per cent and Gulf to India has been 365 per cent. This massive growth can be attributed to the airline’s reliable services, coupled with customer service excellence and innovative marketing by Jet Airways’ Cargo.
India’s No. 1 airline has also executed numerous guest benefit programmes under its ‘Think India, Think Jet Airways’ campaign to ensure the guests can avail the best flying experience at an unmatched value proposition. The airline has introduced several avant-garde solutions such as ‘Priority Advantange’, #JetAdvance, Fare Lock and Fare Choices aimed at expanding convenience for its guests. Offering its wide-body services on select flights, the airline’s guests over the years have enjoyed its hallmark in-flight services, delectable menu options, carefully curated wine and liquor selection, endless hours of award winning in-flight entertainment and the warmth of our Indian welcome.
