Jazeera Airways soaring high, setting new benchmarks in air travel
Jazeera Airways stands out with its modern fleet, dedication to operational efficiency, and recognition for exceptional services while providing passengers with accessible and efficient travel options. Romana Parvi, Regional Manager, South Asia, Jazeera Airways, says that their steadfast commitment lies in strategic network diversification, unwavering operational efficiency, and fostering a positive customer experience.
With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Jazeera Airways charts a course for success that seamlessly blends innovation network expansion and passengercentric service. In 2023, the airline continued its growth trajectory, adding 10 routes, including direct flights from Kuwait to Moscow, Samarkand, Larnaca, Sphinx (Cairo), Shiraz, Tivat, Belgrade, Tirana, Islamabad, and Tehran. The airline now serves 64 destinations across the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Africa, and Europe. With a focus on the business plan, aiming for 86 destinations in the next three years, 2024 will see an exploration of new destinations in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Eastern Europe.
In India, the airline serves six cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kochi. “As always, we remain keen to expand our presence in India to serve the expat population, but we are limited by the seating capacity, which has not increased since 2007,” says Romana.
Conquering Adversities
At the end of 2022, Jazeera Airways registered record profits despite perhaps the highest fuel prices in history. The effects of this spilled over into 2023, as did supply chain problems, which affected aircraft deliveries. During the year, even with the tough regulatory, geopolitical, and regional landscape, the airline carried a record number of passengers, delivered a strong load factor, and built an attractive network of destinations. This also resulted in the airline having the biggest market share in its home base of Kuwait. Romana also pointed out, “Depressed yields related to overcapacity remain a challenge, but we are well placed to leverage our lowcost base to maintain margins.”
Sustainability a Priority
In 2024, sustainability is also high on the agenda for the aviation industry, and airlines are under pressure to reduce their impact on the environment. “At Jazeera, we recognised our responsibility earlier on and have taken small steps to adopt environmentally friendly and sustainable practices into our operations. We have been running CHOOOSE, a platform that offers customers an option to offset their flight emissions, for the last two years. In 2023, we introduced sustainable food service ware on all flights with a goal to reduce 300 kg of plastic per month,” affirms Romana.
Enhancing Ground and Air Experience
Jazeera Airways’ unique advantage is that it owns and manages Jazeera T5, its airport terminal in Kuwait, enabling direct control for an enhanced customer experience. In 2023, the terminal saw significant upgrades, including new gates, more check-in counters, and improved transit areas with added amenities like seating, changing rooms, restaurants, and a new Duty-Free shop. The terminal also has independent arrival and departure areas, enhancing security and operational efficiency. This also makes it easier for transit passengers, with only one security screening on arrival at the terminal.
Romana further expressed their commitment to sustainability and innovation in 2024, stating, “We also introduced 100 per cent biodegradable cutlery on all our flights, making us the first low-cost carrier in the Middle East to switch from plastic to eco-friendly food service ware in-flight. In 2024, our aircraft will also be retrofitted with over 2000 seats from Expliseat, making us the launch airline for these seats. These new model TiSeat E2 seats are the world's lightest aircraft seats. With the Expliseat seats, each aircraft in the Jazeera fleet will reduce its empty weight by 1,200 kilograms, reducing jet fuel consumption."
Accolades and Aspirations
For the first nine months of 2023, Jazeera Airways reported positive financial performance with a group net profit of KD13.27 million. Despite challenges like overcapacity impacting yields and margins, the airline maintained a strong market share and experienced passenger growth. The airline was listed in Fortune 500 Arabia for its contributions to the regional business landscape, recognised as one of the Best Workplaces in Asia for 2023 by Great Place to Work, and received the ICT Leadership Award for actively embracing and pioneering digital transformation in their operations.
Romana conveys an optimistic outlook for 2024. She says, “The outlook for 2024 continues to remain positive with a consistent demand for travel, Jazeera’s stringent cost control, and a solid balance sheet. Overcapacity in the market will continue to put yields under pressure and could impact margins. However, we continue to remain focused on growth with new destinations, aircraft, and initiatives.”