Constantly adding on new benefits for passengers

For recovery of the aviation industry, more than anything, it will now also depend upon the consumer confidence in airlines with regards to safety. IndiGo is taking measures beyond the guidelines as well to ensure a safe flying experience and are confident that they will be able to restore the trust of their customers in air travel, as it is the safest mode for travel in the current scenario given the protections and precautions implemented. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, shares more on the steps the airline has taken to be successful post the crisis.

What are the key indicators you have been watching or following which can/will help the recovery of the travel industry?

There have been a lot of predictions about the recovery of the aviation industry, which has been hit hard by this pandemic. We have seen a positive trend over the first hundred days of resumption of operations post the lockdown including the steadily rising PLF, unit revenue and future bookings on the back of increasing customer confidence in air travel. The relaxation in state government restrictions and the allowance of 60 per cent capacity by the central government will further help in increasing capacity as well as demand.

What programmes/projects has the airline been working on (or your strategies) to be successful post-crisis?

Operational Strategy

We have explored new streams of revenue with charter flights and we are going aggressive on CarGo. We have earmarked ten aircraft for CarGo operations on freighter mode, with CarGo in cabin and we shall continue this even after resuming preCOVID capacity levels. Currently, we are operating 600 scheduled commercial flights, charter flights, CarGo and air bubble flights every day. We have already operated over 800 international charters and repatriation flights from June to August 2020.

In fact, 68 per cent customers in our consumer survey said they feel air travel is the safest, followed by road (24 per cent) and rail (8 per cent). The increased safety and confidence in air travel is also expected to shift some of the travellers from rail to air transport over the next one year, fuelling recovery for the aviation sector.

Building Customer Confidence

We introduced our Lean Clean Flying Machine initiative, aimed to educate our passengers about the steps being taken for their safety and safety of others, once air travel resumed in May to enhance their confidence in air travel. Our safety measures enable contactless travel for customers with social distancing maintained at all points – airport entry, baggage-drop counters, security checks, boarding gates, coaches, ramp and baggage claim and providing electronic receipt (SMS) of the checked-in baggage. We are regularly disinfecting all common surfaces such as the baggage drop counters, boarding gates, coaches, ramps, wheelchairs, crew vehicles and of course, the aircraft itself, are being thoroughly disinfected using approved cleaning agents. The tray tables, armrests, overhead nozzles, lavatories and galleys are receiving special attention, given the frequency of contact. We are providing personal protective equipment (safety kit) to all passengers at the boarding gate to make sure they are covered. Our ground staff and crew members (cockpit and cabin) are always wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate for their roles. Along with this, IndiGo’s travel assistance now has hospitalization benefits along with coverage for COVID-19.

Our consumer survey which we conducted in June highlighted that 95 per cent customers prioritize health and wellness of the airline staff, while 92 per cent of them feel that sanitation and safety protocols by airlines need to be in place. Personal safety kits (90 per cent) and contactless travel experience (89 per cent) were next on priority. As an industry, we have done well in communicating all our safety measures and protocols across platforms, with almost 93 per cent of travellers being aware of them. The survey highlighted that 65 per cent customers felt confident that IndiGo will ensure clean and safe travel for their journey. Factors such as lack of social distancing by other passengers (62 per cent), quarantine measures by states (55 per cent) and sitting in the aircraft with so many people (55 per cent) have been identified as key deterrents for air travel. While 57 per cent customers are fairly aware of IndiGo’s Lean, clean flying machine programme to promote safe and clean travel experience

Recently, we have re-started 6E Tiffin for our passengers with a range of hygienic, healthy and delicious snacks, for domestic and select international bookings. Prioritising the safety, we have opened this only through pre-booking and purchase of the same is not available on board, so that there will be minimal interaction between and more safety between the passengers and our cabin crew on our lean, clean flying machine.

Stimulating Demand

In order to stimulate demand, we

have launched the following initiatives for our customers:

Flex pay: Passengers can secure their bookings by paying only 10 per cent of the total fare amount and defer their payment on an IndiGo domestic flight for a period of up to 15 days either from the date of bookings or before the date of departure.

‘Tough Cookie’: We launched the initiative on the occasion of National Doctor›s Day to express gratitude towards the tireless commitment and service being given by the medical fraternity to the nation and humanity. As part of the initiative, we are providing up to 25 per cent Tough Cookie discount on the airfares to the nurses and doctors who have serviced in these challenging times. Currently, we have about 100 doctors/ nurses flying with us every day.

6E double seat bookings: The option allows customers to book two seats for a single passenger, while the charges for the extra seat are effectively up to 25 per cent lower than the original booking cost. This offering also addresses the concern expressed in our customer survey, wherein 62 per cent passengers found lack of social distancing by others a key deterrent for air travel

Hotel Partnerships: We have partnered with Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited (ASPHL) wherein ASPHL has created special room packages across its 21 hotels for all IndiGo flyers where they pay for a single night and get second room night complimentary. We have also partnered with Accor Hotels to offer accelerated benefits to Ka-ching cardholders.

What are your thoughts on the ‘New Age in the travel industry’ post the pandemic?

We are stringently adhering to all the ‘new normal in travel’ protocols with our safety measures for COVID-19 protection and I do believe, that some of these will now continue to be a part of our overall hygiene practices even after the vaccine is developed. The safety guidelines for air travel have been devised in consultation with the government and medical experts to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. We are taking measures beyond the guidelines as well, to ensure a safe flying experience and are confident that we will continue to strengthen the trust of our customers in air travel, as the safest mode for travel, in the current scenario.