Jet Airways, a reviving Indian carrier, is on the ambitious road to leading the Indian aviation market this year after a three-year hiatus. The returning airline is gearing up for a fresh start and set to recommence its operations in the 3rd quarter of 2022. Having obtained the revalidated Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in May 2022, the carrier is moving steam ahead for its much-awaited relaunch in September 2022.
Jet Airways’ comeback: a massive feat in Indian aviation
The comeback of defunct airline Jet Airways (9W) is a massive and rare feat in Indian aviation, making it the first Indian carrier to reactive operations after its termination. The new Jet Airways, owned by the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium, could ride out the turbulent storm and overcome all regulatory hurdles to resume scheduled services in the Indian skies. The long-grounded carrier operated a principal set of five proving flights in two phases successfully in May and obtained the operator rights the same month.
With the revalidation of AOC, the full-service carrier Jet Airways can recommence its flight services in full swing. Although the official launch date isn’t announced, the carrier is set in motion to relaunch operations in September 2022. In preparation for its recommencement, the carrier is undergoing several changes revolving around new technology, new livery, and a special aircraft makeover. What’s going on with Jet Airways?
New livery
As the relaunch date comes near, Jet Airways has made a buzz on the internet among aviation enthusiasts, with many of them bombarding the airline CEO Sanjiv Kapoor with plenty of questions related to the new livery of the aircraft. Responding to the livery queries, Jet Airways CEO tweeted that they would have to wait and watch as the reveal date was not too far.
Dropping a hint on the announcement date, he ended the tweet by saying, ‘Don’t fix what is not broken .’Furthermore, he shared the original picture of 28-year-old Jet Airways aircraft, saying it wasn’t quite retro but not that recent either.
Earlier on June 28, Jet Airways had written a letter to the country’s civil aviation regulator DGCA, asking it to direct SpiceJet to remove Jet Airways’ livery from several aircraft leased out to the low-cost airline following 9W’s termination. The airline stated that many of the leased aircraft continued to take to the skies in full Jet Airways’ paint on the fuselage and tail, which misled the public about the identity of the operator and created safety hazards with a potential to create confusion among ground staff and crew operating other airliners regarding the aircraft’s identity.
The new booking website for Jet Airways
In the first week of August, Jet Airways revealed a preview of its new flight booking site sporting the traditional black and white theme. The carrier aims to be at the forefront of aviation technological development by incorporating essential digital technologies for the convenience of passengers. The new website consists of standard flight planning services, allowing passengers to make a flight reservation, early check-ins, and check their flight status.
Recruiting cabin crew
On August 5, Jet Airways took to social media to announce hiring cabin crew from bases in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. On its Twitter account, the carrier called for current cabin crew on A320/B737 or any other aircraft type willing to join the Jet Airways team.
Aircraft fleet and destinations planned.
The current fleet of Jet Airways consists of 9 Boeing aircraft, including four Boeing 737s and five Boeing 777-300ERs. As a part of the carrier’s relaunch in September 2022, it’s reported that the carrier is in talks with European aerospace giant Airbus to acquire 50 Airbus A220 aircraft, making it the sole operator of the type in India.
Prior to ceasing operations, Jet Airways was a proud operator of 124 aircraft to serve its industry’s leading network of over 65 domestic and international destinations.
Although the destination networks of Jet Airways aren’t officially declared, it will restart its scheduled services with new primary hubs in Bangalore (Kempegowda International Airport), New Delhi (Indira Gandhi International Airport), and Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport).
Although Jet Airways has managed to overcome the regulatory hurdles, it will still have to face stiff competition in the Indian aviation industry, where even before the pandemic, an intense price war led to wafer-thin profit margins. With various headwinds facing the overall air industry, Jet Airways has a long way to go before it makes an indestructible position in the market.
