Mumbai: Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways, the Middle East’s first private airline, is keen that India increases the bilateral agreement of 12,000 seats a week.
CEO Rohit Ramachandran told The Hindu he believes that even if the number is taken up to 36,000, it is too little. Mr. Ramachandran was in India on Wednesday to meet stakeholders as the airline completes 18 months of operating to five Indian cities, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kochi.
Jazeera Airways, based in Kuwait International airport, operates a fleet of A320 and A320 neo aircraft to destinations that are within five hours of flying time from Kuwait. It will be the first low-cost carrier to fly between a Gulf Cooperation Council country and Europe in June, and is eagerly eyeing an India expansion. “12,000 seats is an unacceptably small number. Even if tripled to 36,000 seats it won’t be enough,” Mr. Ramachandran said.
The last seat revision between India and Kuwait was done in 2007. Kuwait has utilised 100% of its allocation, while Indian carriers have used up 90%.
Mr. Ramachandran said Jazeera was looking to increase its seat entitlements in India, but was not interested in acquisitions and preferred to grow organically. “For us, the lowest seat factor on Indian routes is 86% and our passengers are a mix of migrant workers, corporate and leisure tourist traffic from India,” he said.
The Jazeera CEO said 90% of traffic between India and Kuwait was point-to-point. “Currently only around 11% of our traffic from India flies onward from Kuwait. We hope to attract budget travellers from India on our Europe service that begins this June,” he said.
02/05/19 Aditya Anand/The Hindu
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CEO Rohit Ramachandran told The Hindu he believes that even if the number is taken up to 36,000, it is too little. Mr. Ramachandran was in India on Wednesday to meet stakeholders as the airline completes 18 months of operating to five Indian cities, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kochi.
Jazeera Airways, based in Kuwait International airport, operates a fleet of A320 and A320 neo aircraft to destinations that are within five hours of flying time from Kuwait. It will be the first low-cost carrier to fly between a Gulf Cooperation Council country and Europe in June, and is eagerly eyeing an India expansion. “12,000 seats is an unacceptably small number. Even if tripled to 36,000 seats it won’t be enough,” Mr. Ramachandran said.
The last seat revision between India and Kuwait was done in 2007. Kuwait has utilised 100% of its allocation, while Indian carriers have used up 90%.
Mr. Ramachandran said Jazeera was looking to increase its seat entitlements in India, but was not interested in acquisitions and preferred to grow organically. “For us, the lowest seat factor on Indian routes is 86% and our passengers are a mix of migrant workers, corporate and leisure tourist traffic from India,” he said.
The Jazeera CEO said 90% of traffic between India and Kuwait was point-to-point. “Currently only around 11% of our traffic from India flies onward from Kuwait. We hope to attract budget travellers from India on our Europe service that begins this June,” he said.
02/05/19 Aditya Anand/The Hindu
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