Session Nine :

Airline panel: Assessing the airline opportunities and challenges in dynamic India

The last session of the day shed light on the changing role of Indian airlines, both full services and LCC in the global aviation market. The moderator for the session was Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. The speakers for the session were Edgardo Badiali, CEO, Go Air, Suresh Nair, Vice President – Commercial Operations, Paramount Airways and Kapil Kaul, CEO, India and Middle East CAPA.

Commenting on the market situation, due to the fuel hike, Edgardo Badiali, CEO, Go Air said, “We have to fight with the market situation as the fuel hike will have a lot of negative impact on the market structure.” Talking about Paramount’s business model, Suresh Nair, Vice President, Commercial Operations, Paramount Airways said, “Though we have a mix of passengers, we target Jet Airways and Kingfishers economy class passengers. With the present situation, a day will come when we as airlines will have to rationalise our routes.”

Though, Kapil Kaul, CEO, India and Middle East CAPA, believes that airlines need to come together in a structured manner, he is not sure if the airlines in India will integrate their back end and share other resources. But he is confident that most of these airlines will survive this phase. Commenting on the government’s policy on Air India Kaul said, “Air India has reached a place where it cannot be repaired. It is a manifestation of the fact that the national carrier does not have any backers at any level.”

Taking a very neutral approach on this topic Nair said, “Whether Air India will take the challenge and repair the past damages or Jet Airways or Kingfisher will tap the huge market opportunity available today in the Indian market is yet to be seen.”