Date:06/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/06/stories/2008010659080300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

‘Jet’ expanding its horizons

Staff Reporter

Hopes to connect 19 international destinations by April

The airline has eight Boeing 777 aircraft, two more will join shortly

More Airbus 330-200 aircraft will be added to the existing seven

KOCHI: Jet Airways is on a strong growth path and hopes to connect 19 international destinations by April this year, Sudheer Raghavan, Executive Vice-President (Commercial) of Jet Airways, has said.

He was addressing a press conference coinciding with the launch of the airline’s Gulf sector services on Saturday.

Mr. Raghavan regarded his airline as the face of new India and said that the Indian aviation scene would witness more and more private airlines flying out of private airports as opposed to airports and airlines managed by the government.

Elaborating on the growth of the airline, he said that in November last year it connected ten international services, and in December Dhaka was added to the list. With the addition of Gulf sector services, the number had gone up to 14 and it would touch 19 by April, he said.

The airline now has eight Boeing 777 aircraft and two more would join shortly out of the original order placed for 10 aircraft. More Airbus 330-200 aircraft would be added to the existing seven. The order for 20 Boeing 737 and 10 Boeing 787 aircraft was in addition to this.

Mr. Raghavan said the airline was hopeful of flying from Mumbai to Shanghai and from there to San Francisco. “We are awaiting the approval of the respective governments. Besides, we are also hopeful of operating to Hong Kong and destinations in the U.S. like Chicago and Houston and African destinations like Johannesburg and Nairobi,” he said.

The merger of Jet Airways and Air Sahara would produce the desired results with the completion of integration of schedules, ground operations and marketing plans within the next four to six months, he said.

Mr. Raghavan said Indian passengers were often deprived of international quality services they deserve. “Jet Airways is committed to change that. We will treat them with respect by ensuring quality services both on ground and aboard the aircraft.”

In his view, competition was important as it served as a great source of checks and balances.