British Airways has completed 81 years of operations in India. Judy Jarvis, regional commercial manager, South Asia, British Airways, reaffirms the airline's commitment to a market that they believe will be one of the greatest airline destinations in the world.
What is your perspective regarding the aviation sector in India in the next 10 years? The aviation industry has seen tremendous growth over the past few years in India and it is our belief that it will continue to do so for the next decade. India is benefitting from growing disposable incomes with more Indians travelling abroad for leisure and/or business than ever before. India is a consumption-driven economy coupled with a population keen to explore the world. We also feel that the Indian market needs to open up further and allow for greater partnerships and alliances for the benefit of customers. To an extent, we have already started this process through our codeshare agreement with Kingfisher Airlines. Greater support from governments through reductions in airport and related charges and taxes will play a pivotal role in delivering businesses and tourists to India. It is critical that travel remains affordable for the healthy future of aviation in India. For our part, we will continue to offer seasonal promotions, discounts and deals as we have done before. What are your plans for synergising your operations with the growth of the aviation sector here? India continues to be a growth market for us and, India, after the US, is British Airways' second biggest market outside the UK. This market is growing much faster than many other markets. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says that traffic numbers between the UK and India have nearly doubled since 1999. We have the potential to help our travellers - in and outbound - to travel to many more destinations across India and to offer them a seamless and rewarding experience. This is something that we are looking to further for the India market. Also our presence in five key cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai), with 45 flights a week to these destinations, enables us to serve them well. Our investment in the airline also continues. We introduced the new Boeing 777-300 ER into our fleet and it was flown into India this year. The aircraft includes the new economy class, which the leisure traveller will love for increased comfort and space, the new premium economy service for SME business travellers, our award winning Club World product, and the incredibly luxurious new First service that has been a great hit with the premium traveller. The new First class service and the recently launched brand campaign came about after a GBP 100 million investment showcases the airline's heritage and highlighting the characteristics that make British Airways special: decades of flying know-how, thoughtful service and British style. What, according to you, will be the short-term and long-term challenges? Today's air passengers want a better flying experience every time they travel, regardless of the nature of their trip. Customer expectations are high nowadays, and they have plenty of choice. Airport infrastructure is improving, and India now has world class facilities in many locations. Passengers want to speed through the airport, and enjoy a good selection of shops, restaurants and lounges. They also want to be able to connect to Wi-Fi and catch up on work to maximise their time. On-board our passengers expect more comfort and space, state of the art on-board entertainment, and the ability to work when required. We see more customers travelling for leisure, but who want an extra bit of luxury to make their trip more comfortable and special. We also see more high-end travellers who demand a more personalised service, and a private jet like experience. The overall challenge posed is that, as an airline British Airways has to be much more innovative to stay ahead of the game, and to put our customers at the heart of our business. The key areas of opportunity for you? There are many opportunities for the airline industry in India and British Airways plans to focus on the top three: * Increased business travel: our flights to the UK and beyond are perfectly suited to business travellers and we offer direct flight to London arriving at 'business friendly' hours and with the full range of business seating options * Increased leisure travel: we offer 45 flights a week between the UK and five key cities across India. This combined with our codeshare deal with Kingfisher Airlines opens up the country for the leisure traveller, and provides the opportunity for our Indian leisure travellers to experience the best of Britain and the world beyond * More destinations via London: we are expanding our network to allow travellers from countries like India to benefit from a greater range of new options. For instance, we launched a new route direct from London to Las Vegas which has been incredibly popular with travellers from countries like India. We also launched a new direct service to Cancun and a flight to Paris Orly. Destinations like these extend the number of on-going flights to travellers from India, and our partner Iberia opens up Spain as a destination as well.
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