The re-launch plans of India’s grounded airline Jet Airways, acquired by UAE-based Indian businessman Murari Lal Jalan-led Jalan Kalrock Consortium, has gathered momentum, with the carrier roping IBS Software, a leading product development firm for travel industry, to put in place a range of technology platforms to power various operational functions.
As technology partner, IBS Software will deliver cutting-edge capabilities in passenger service systems (PSS) encompassing bookings, inventory and revenue management, departure control system and loyalty management.
It will also help the carrier with a latest generation website and mobile app, designed to optimize the entire passenger and retail experience.
Jet Airways is set to re-launch commercial operations in September 2022.
“Jet Airways is coming back determined to take technology, services, and customer experience to a new level,” Sanjiv Kapoor, chief executive officer of Jet Airways, said.
“Technology with a human touch is at the heart of everything we want to achieve, starting with getting the basics right by addressing recurring pain-points in the customer journey, both online and at the airports, while also addressing the pain-points commonly faced by airline staff,” Kapoor said.
IBS Software, which provides solutions for the aviation industry for fleet and crew operations, aircraft maintenance, passenger services, loyalty programs, staff travel and air-cargo management, have worked with Middle East airlines including Etihad Airways, besides with several Western carriers.
“Jet Airways in its new avatar will be India’s most people-focused and customer-friendly airline, updated for the digital age,” the airline officials said.
“We will be a ‘smart’ full-service carrier with a two-class cabin configuration, including a business class cabin designed to global standards and an evolved new-generation economy class that offers today‘s customers what they most value,” they said.
Jet Airways’ move to take IBS on board to prepare cutting-edge tech platforms comes close on the heels of the carrier kicking off the process for hiring of pilots.
The carrier, in late July, announced commencing the process for hiring pilots for various aircraft types ahead of its re-launch plan.
Jet Airways’ commercial operations stayed suspended since April 17, 2019 as it flew into bankruptcy.
After the Jalan-Kalrock consortium won the bid from India’s insolvency court – National Company Law Tribunal – to acquire the ailing airline, the new management has indicated that it intended to recommence commercial operations in the quarter ending September 2022.
“Jet Airways 2.0 aims at restarting short-haul international operations by the third-fourth quarter of 2022,” Jalan, the proposed non-executive chairman of Jet Airway, said late last year.
He also said the airline would first commence with domestic operations in India ahead of starting international operations.
“Our plan is to have over 50 aircraft in three years and more than 100 in five years, which will fit perfectly well with the short-term and long-term business plan of the consortium. The aircraft are being selected based on competitive long-term leasing solutions,” Jalan had said then.
Though the new management of Jet Airways has not spelt out details of their plans for international operations, industry sources indicated that the airline could be looking at the Gulf sector for its initial re-run.
Jet Airways operated a large number of flights to Abu Dhabi – its then regional base – and the wider Middle East before the airline ran into financial troubles and was grounded in April 2019.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways held a 24 percent equity stake in Jet Airways when the carrier was grounded due to mounting debts and went into insolvency.
Murari Lal Jalan, the UAE-based entrepreneur, who runs multiple businesses including paper, mining, trading, FMCG, and renewable energy, earlier expressed the confidence that Jet Airways would make a strong comeback.
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