Kathmandu, August 4

Jet Airways, an Indian airline company, is adding one flight each per day on Kathmandu-Delhi and Kathmandu-Mumbai routes by the end of 2016.

The airline, which has been flying to Nepal since May 2004, currently operates two flights per day on Kathmandu-Delhi route and one flight per day on Kathmandu-Mumbai route.

“With the addition of a flight on Kathmandu-Delhi route per day, we will be operating a total of 21 flights per week on that sector. Addition of one flight on Kathmandu-Mumbai route will result in 14 weekly departures (from the Nepali Capital),” Colin Neubronner, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Jet Airways, told journalists here today.

Neubronner also informed that Jet Airways was looking at options of operating direct flights between Kathmandu and Bangalore, and Kathmandu and Kolkata. “Studies are ongoing on this front,” he said, adding, “We have remained committed to Nepal despite the ups and downs, as it is a key strategic market for us.”

Jet Airways, which incurred a loss of $342 million in fiscal year 2014-15, has lately improved its financial health, largely because of low international oil prices. “Also, cost reductions across the business and improved aircraft utilisation were other major drivers for the turnaround,” says a statement issued by the company.

These reasons led the company to book a net profit of $185 million in fiscal year 2015-16.

Lately, the company has also been riding on India’s growth wave, which has raised purchasing power of its citizens.

“India is at the start of a very long growth cycle,” Neubronner remarked. And its effects have trickled down to the aviation sector as well, with the number of domestic air passengers surging from 16.1 million in 2003-04 to 70.1 million in 2014-15. Also, the number of international air passengers travelling to and from India has been continuously going up.

The International Air Transport Association has predicted that India will be the third largest aviation market, overtaking the United Kingdom, by 2031 — an indication that the Indian aviation industry will be witnessing unprecedented growth.

To cash in on this phenomenon, Jet Airways will focus on greater global connectivity through wider network of code-sharing with partner airlines, Neubronner said.

Also, it is launching a scheme called ‘Fare Choices’ on August 17, under which customers who book flight tickets in advance can enjoy heavy discounts. “The idea (of this scheme) is to offer tailor-made fares to cater to different customer needs,” Neubronner informed.

The scheme will be available on all domestic and international routes.