‘We have significant expansion plans’
Rohit Ramachandran, CEO Jazeera Airways, is credited with turning around the airline and putting it on the path to profitable growth. Presently, Jazeera Airways has returned to the ASA (Air Services Agreement) arrangement flying to the five Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, and Hyderabad. TTJ interacts with Rohit Ramchandran to know about their India operations and future developments at the airline.
India has always been an important market for Jazeera Airways. There are over one million Indian ex-pats living and working in Kuwait, making them the airline’s largest home base target market. Their travel to and from their home country and visiting friends and relatives makes India strategically very important. The airline also connects many Indians to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. In addition, through Kuwait, they offer Indian tourists the travel option of leisure destinations, such as Turkey (Istanbul, Bodrum, Antalya), Amman, Tbilisi, and Baku.
On resumption of international flights from India, Rohit says, “This is great news for India and the aviation industry. The fast removal of all restrictions to travel is important for passengers, airlines, and general economic recovery. That includes the ending of RT-PCR testing and wearing the mask.”
While operating in India, the airline is adhering to all local regulations directed by the government regarding passenger requirements, COVID protocols, and caution. As these norms constantly change, the airline works according to the directives received by various governments.
Rohit further adds, “We have conducted and continue to operate full cleaning procedures of aircraft cabins and have HEPA air filters, which are highly effective in ensuring clean, safe air inside our aircraft. Passengers are no longer as concerned as they were during the outbreak.
Having worked with four major airlines across three continents, Rohit has rich domain knowledge in full-service traditional airlines, as well as hybrid and low-cost carriers. As CEO of Jazeera Airways, Rohit has led an ambitious restructuring programme that has resulted in significant cost reductions, renegotiated major costs (including aircraft leases), network expansion, fleet renewal, and significant increases in seat factor and yield, all while maintaining focus on profit and loss.
On expansion plans, Rohit shares, “We have significant expansion plans. We recently placed an order with Airbus for twenty-eight new aircraft valued at $3.4bn. Our fleet will grow from seventeen aircraft in 2022 to thirty-five by 2026 with some older aircraft that will be retired during this period. This will help us to expand our network from over fifty destinations this year to around eighty in four years.”