For the second year in succession Jet Airways, India’s biggest privately owned airline in India, has been named the ‘Most Respected Company’ in the travel and hospitality sector in the country. The award was made by the country’s leading business magazine, Businessworld, and was accepted by the carrier’s chairman and founder, Mr Naresh Goyal.

Jet Airways was launched in May, 1993, and very quickly began setting new service and reliability standards in the industry, winning a string of commendations in a very short period of time.

The airline has become noted for innovations and also for a steady expansion of its network and earlier this year the carrier’s previously domestic network of scheduled routes, linking 42 destinations, was expanded with the addition for the first time of two international points - Kathmandu and Colombo.

In the meantime, domestic routes are also being expanded and latest point to be added was Patna. However, it is international routes that are pre-occupying the carrier’s senior management at the present time with Kuala Lumpur and Singapore expected to be added early next year.

Even more exciting times could be just around the corner, however, following the Indian government’s decision in recent weeks to liberalise the Indian airline scene and allow long-haul destinations to be served.

Foremost among these is London following another major change in the regulations governing scheduled services between the U.K. and India. This will allow four new carriers - two from each country - to open scheduled services and Jet Airways is already being mentioned as a leading contender for one of the two carriers likely to be designated by the Indian authorities to serve the U.K. in the coming year.

It will mean a major order for aircraft to supplement the airline’s current fleet of 33 Classic and Next-Generation Boeing 737-400/700/800 and 900 series aircraft, the average age of which is four years, and one of the youngest in Asia.

The airline currently operates 260 flights daily to 44 destinations, including Kathmandu and Colombo and since its launch in May, 1993, has carried more than 46.5 million passengers.
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