Project on Airlines SECTOR

CONTENTS
Introduction

History of Civil Aviation Industry The New Policy

Changing Pattern of Government Regulations

Recent Developments in Civil Aviation

Domestic Air Carriers

Airport Infrastructure

Low Cost Airlines: A Preview

PEST Analysis

Segmentation Strategy

7 Ps of Marketing Mix

Case Study King Fisher Airlines

Aviation Industry

The commercial use of aircrafts for the carrying of persons, mail and cargo and the name generally used in the aviation industry to describe the operations of fortified air carriers is known as the airlines/aviation industry. Aviation means Flying in the Air or the Art of Flying. Airlines are one of the fastest growing industries in the world. It is occupying a significant place in the transport management of todays world. Both from passengers and goods operation, the air transportation services have been playing an incremental role.

Tale of the Airplane

WRIGHT BROTHERS. The Wrights began their efforts to invent the airplane by carefully studying what others had done before. They studied the various hot air balloons trips and decided to make the aircrafts. The Wrights followed the example set by Lilienthal and continued by Chanute of beginning with the glider. The Wrights also choose to pattern their aircraft after the Chanute-

Aviation Industry

Herring biplane, a sturdy and relatively successful biplane glider. Lilienthal's data on the lift of wing surfaces were used in their design of the 1900 and 1901 gliders.

By careful study, the Wrights identified the best features of past aircraft and employed aeronautical theory about the lift of wings to design their first craft. Although it did not perform as expected, it was among the best gliders that had ever been built. History of Indian Aviation Sector Travel by air in the modern sense began in India only in 1877, when Joseph Lyna took off from the Lalbagh Gardens in Bombay, and ascended to an altitude of about 7,500 feet and landed at Dadra. In the years that followed, there was a tremendous development of air transportation in India as in any other c ount r ies due t o t e c h n o l o g i c a l advances and c oo pe r a t i on from t h e government. India also has the distinction of organizing the first flight by an aero plane in the world in February 1911. This flight piloted by French pilot M. Picquet flew from Allahabad to Naini. However, it took more than 20 years for the country to have its own airline. In October 15, 1932, Tata Sons Ltd which later become Air India International commenced weekly airmail service with a Puss Moth aircraft between Madras via Ahmedabad and Bombay, covering over 1,300 miles. Later two more airlines Indian National Airways in 1933 and Air Services of Indian in 1937 came up. At the time of independence, the number of air transport companies, which were operating within and beyond the frontiers of the company, carrying both air cargo and passengers, was nine. It was reduced to eight, with Orient Airways shifting to Pakistan. These airlines were: Tata Airlines, Indian National Airways, Air service of India, Deccan Airways, Ambica Airways, Bharat Airways and Mistry Airways. In early 1948, a joint sector company, Air India International Ltd., was established by the Karachi and

Aviation Industry

Government of India. Its first flight took off on June 8, 1948 on the Mumbai (Bombay)London air route. The joint venture was headed by J.R.D. Tata, a visionary who had founded the first India airline in 1932 and he had himself piloted its inaugural flight. The Government then nationalized the airlines industry in 1953, with enactment of Air Corporation Act, and assets of nine existing air companies were transferred to the two new corporations Air India International and the Indian Airlines. After 40 years, in 1994 Air Corporation Act was repealed ending the monopoly of the national air corporations and enabling entry of private operators. Today, India occupies an eminent position in the civil aviation sector with a large fleet of aircrafts. In all, 56 airlines are operating scheduled air services to and through India and 22 foreign airlines are flying over Indian Territory. There are over 450 airports and 1091 registered aircraft in the country. In addition to the three public sector airlines Air India, Indian Airlines, Alliance Air - there are three private operators -Jet Airways, Sahara India Airlines & Air scheduled air transport Deccan. There are also 41 nonoperators. Additionally 34 applicants have been granted NOC

by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for setting up non-scheduled air transport operation. Estimates show that the domestic and international passenger traffic in India is projected to grow annually at 12.5% and 7% respectively over the next decade. domestic and 1.2mn tons of international cargo. The aviation industry in India has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years in terms of kilometers flown as well as customers serviced. The economy of a country is substantially determined by the quality of air transport. The airlines today have made themselves more popular among its customers by various marketing tactics like: Indian airports are likely to handle 60mn international passengers and 300,000 tons of

Reduced costs of air tickets for frequent flyers. E-ticketing i.e. virtually eliminating the need for agents. Reynar and Easy jet two of UKs low cost carriers have eliminated travel agents completely and sell all their tickets online.,

Selling tickets through online auctions, Various freebies and accommodation offers provided at lower rates. Improved and interactive staff. Increase in aircraft capacity

Aviation Industry

Changing Pattern of Government Regulations In India is perhaps the m o st st r i k i n g e x a m p l e of the progress made in the liberalization of the Indian economy, a process that began a decade ago. Civil air transport business which hitherto had been the Government's monopoly has been completely liberalized, as a result of which private airlines have been flourishing. The process of disinvestment of Government equity in national carriers has initiated, private participation for airports has been been further liberalized and the

bilateral for operation of international services are being further encouraged. This in turn has opened up immense opportunities for investment in the civil aviation sector in India. The steps taken by t h e government are as follows: 1. Investments Opportunities Foreign Equity Foreign Equity up to 40% and NRI investment up to 100% is permitted in domestic air transport services. Equity from foreign airlines is not permitted directly or indirectly. 2. Disinvestment of the Government Equity in airlines Government of India decided to disinvest partly its shareholding in both Air India and Indian Airlines, presently wholly owned companies of the Government. But with general elections round the corner this issue has been put on the backburner with constant opposition from various sections of the society. 3. Entry-Exit barriers removed Barriers to entry and exit from this sector have been removed. Only pre-entry scrutiny to verify financial soundness, maintenance, security and safety aspects of operations and human resource development proposals is done. Choice of aircraft type

Aviation Industry

and size left to the operator. 4. Private participation in Airports Foreign equity participation is allowed in ventures for airports, up to 74% automatic approvals and up to100% with special permission. Participation is also open to foreign airport authorities. A variety of fiscal incentives has been provided to airport project, as decided by Government from time to time. They are as follows:

choice.

100% deduction in profits for purposes of Income Tax for first five years. 30% deduction in profits for Income Tax purposes for next five years. Full deduction to run for continuous 10 out of 20 fiscal years of assessee's

40% of profits from infrastructure also deductible for financial institutions providing finance for airport infrastructure projects.

long term

5. Bilateral for operation of international air services The Government has been more liberal in granting additional entitlements to foreign airlines both in terms of capacity as well as in terms of points of call. The exist ing air services agreement with Unit ed St at es of America is an extremely liberal one as it allows any number of US airlines to operate services from/to India. US airlines are also allowed to decide the size of aircraft and their frequencies. 6. Taxes and Tariffs In order to facilitate acquisition of aircraft Government of India has reduced tariffs for import of aircraft from 8% to Nil. Even aircraft taken on lease do not attract customs duties. India also has a liberal Corporate Tax/Income Tax regime for airlines and encourages investment by allowance of high depreciation rates. 7. Civil Aviation Policy Having drawn up a successful growth model for the civil aviation sector, the Government is now engaged in evolving a comprehensive and integrated new civil aviation policy, some of the major highlights of which are:

All players and stakeholders are assured of a level playing field. Private participation is encouraged and opportunities are created for

investors to realize adequate returns on their investments. Rapid up gradation of airport infrastructure to world class is encouraged with

priority to the busiest airports and those handling international flights.

Aviation Industry

International

cooperation and

in

aviation

and

development

in

tune

with

international trends is promoted.

best practices,

consistent with

airspace sovereignty

After four decades of control, Civil Aviation sector has been liberalized with a view to draw benefits of efficiency, safety and quality in service. Government has also opened doors to foreign participation in investment in this sector.

Aviation Industry

Aviation Industry

Recent Developments in Civil Aviation Civil Aviation: The different types of civil aviation are:

Domestic airlines (Indian Airlines) International airlines (Air India, Lufthansa) Chartered airlines (Evergreen, Deccan Aviation) Private helicopter services (Pawn Hans) Corporate aircraft (Reliance) Transport (Fed EX owns planes)

Airports: The airplanes dont own the airports. These are controlled by the agencies like Airports Authority of India. AAI maintains the airports in India. Airlines get the routes and landing rights. These can be either used by them or swapped (e.g. Air India gave unused DelhiLondon route to Virgin) Classes:

Passengers can avail different types of classes in airlines: Economy class Business class First class

The difference lies in various facilities like reclining seats etc. There is a significant difference in prices. Marketing: Airlines use conventional marketing methods for attracting customers. E.G. Advertising The Singapore Girl campaign of Singapore Airlines PR- Public Relations by Richard Branson of Virgin Brand Mascot- Maharaja of Air India SchemesFrequent flyer programmes of various airlines

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PEST Analysis: The Indian Airline Industry A PEST analysis is an analysis of the external macro-environment that affects all firms. P.E.S.T. is an acronym for the Political, Economic, Social, and Technological factors of the external macro-environment. Such external factors usually are beyond the firm's control and sometimes present themselves as threats. For this reason, some say that "pest" is an appropriate term for these factors. Let us look at the PEST analysis of the Indian aviation sector: 1) P - Political Factors In India, one can never over-look the political factors which influence each and every industry existing in the country. Like it or not, the political interference has to be present everywhere. Given below are a few of the political factors with respect to the airline industry:

The airline industry is very susceptible to changes in the political environment as it has a great bearing on the travel habits of its customers. An unstable political environment causes uncertainty in the minds of the air travelers, regarding traveling to a particular country. Overall Indias recent political environment has been largely unstable due to international events & continued tension with Pakistan. The recent Gujarat riots & the governments inability to control the situation have also led to an increase in the instability of the political arena. The most significant political event however has been September 11. The events occurring on September had special significance for the airline industry since airplanes were involved. The immediate results were a huge drop in air traffic due to safety & security concerns of the people.

International airlines are greatly affected by trade relations that their country has with others. Unless governments of the two countries trade with each other, there could be restrictions of flying into particular area leading to a loss of potential air traffic (e.g. Pakistan & India) Another aspect is that in countries with high corruption levels like India, bribes have to be paid for every permit & license required. Therefore constant liasoning with the minister & other government official is necessary. The state owned airlines suffer the maximum from this problem. These airlines have to make several special considerations with respect to selection of routes, free seats to ministers, etc which a privately owned airline need not do. The state owned airlines also suffers from archaic laws applying only to them such as the retirement age of the pursers & hostesses, the labour regulations which make the management less flexible in taking decision due to the presence of a strong union, & the heavy control &interference of the government. This affects the quality of the service delivery & therefore these airlines shave to think of innovative service marketing ideas to circumvent their problems & compete with the private operators.

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2) E- Economic Factors Business cycles have a wide reaching impact on the airline industry. During recession, airline is considered a luxury & therefore spending on air travel is cut which leads to reduce prices. During prosperity phase people indulge themselves in travel & prices increase. After the September 11 incidents, the world economy plunged into global recession due to the depressed sentiment of consumers. In India, even a company like Citibank was forced to cut costs to increase profits for which even the top level managers were given first class railway tickets instead of plane tickets. The loss of income for airlines led to higher operational costs not only due to low demand but also due to higher insurance costs, which increased after the WTC bombing. This prompted the industry to lay off employees, which further fuelled the recession as spending decreased due to the rise in unemployment. Even the SARS outbreak in the Far East was a major cause for slump in the airline industry. Even the Indian carriers like Air India was deeply affected as many flights were cancelled due to internal (employee relations) as well as external problems, which has been discussed later.

3)S- Social Factors The changing travel habits of people have very wide implications for the airline industry. In a country like India, there are people from varied income groups. The airlines have to recognize these individuals and should serve them accordingly. Air India needs to focus on their clientele which are mostly low income clients & their habits in order to keep them satisfied. The destination, kind of food etc all has to be chosen carefully in accordance with the tastes of their major clientele. Especially, since India is a land of extremes there are people from various religions and castes and every individual traveling by the airline would expect customization to the greatest possible extent. For e.g. A Jain would be satisfied with the service only if he is served jain food and it should be kept in mind that the customers next to him are also jain or at least vegetarian. Another good example would be the case of South West Airlines which occupies a solid position in the minds of the US air travelers as a reliable and convenient, fun, low fare, and no frills airline. The major element of its success was the augmented marketing mix which it used very effectively. What South West did was it made the environment inside the plane very consumer friendly. The crew neither has any uniform nor does it serve any lavish foods, which indirectly reduces the costs and makes the consumers feel comfortable.

4)T-Technological Factors The increasing use of the Internet has provided many opportunities to airlines. For e.g. Air Sahara has introduced a service through the internet, wherein the unoccupied seats are auctioned one week prior to the departure.

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Air India also provides many internet based services to its customer such as online ticket booking, updated flight information & handling of customer complaints. USTDA (US trade & development association) is funding a feasibility study and workshops for the Airports Authority of India as part of a long-term effort to promote Indian aviation infrastructure. The Authority is developing modern communication, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management systems for India's aviation sector that will help the country meet the expected growth and demand for air passenger and cargo service over the next decade. A proposal for restructuring the existing airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata through long-term lease to make them world class is under consideration. This will help in attracting investments in improving the infrastructure and services at these airports. Setting up of new international airports at Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa with private sector participation is also envisaged. A good example of the impact of technology would be that of AAI, wherein with the help of technology it has converted its obsolete and unused hangars into profit centers. AAI is now leasing these hangars to international airlines and is earning huge profits out of it. AAI has also tried to utilize space that was previously wasted installing a lamination machine to laminate the luggage of travelers. This activity earns AAI a lot of revenue. These technological changes in the environment have an impact on Air India as well. Better airport infrastructure, means better handling of airplanes, which can help reduce maintenance cost. It also facilitates more flights to such destinations. Segmentation: The Airline Industry Most airlines use a very traditional segmentation strategy, dividing passengers into business travelers and economy travelers (mostly leisure travelers). The common strategy is to squeeze as much profit as possible from business class passengers who are attracted by superior services and corresponding high prices and, at the same time, to try and fill the rest of the seats and ensure growth by attracting economy class passengers with lower fares. Following are the popular segments: 1) Business passengers They are crucial for airlines' profitability. With less spare time and more cash in their pockets, they agree to pay a premium price for a premium service. Today business passengers account for approximately 48% of passengers, and these 48% contribute 66% of airlines' revenue. The premium prices they pay provide wider and more comfortable seats, better choice of meals and seats, luxurious lounges. Airlines can choose from a multitude of premium services to offer to business travelers. Some of these extras range from seats equipped with faxes and telephones, to gambling machines, showers, massage services and suit ironing services in the recently introduced arrival lounges. Business passengers believe it is worth extra money if they can save time and arrive looking fresh for an important meeting. Business passengers will avoid transit flights even if a longer flight could save them money. But amongst other perks, flexible reservation services are probably the most important to them. Reservations for business trips are often

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made just a couple of days in advance. A no penalty cancellation policy is also very important to business passengers. The best way to reach business travelers is through printed advertising. Business news media, such as "The Economist" or "The Wall Street Journal" are some of the best publications through which airlines can reach business travelers. Many airlines design special promotional programs that target corporate bookers and meeting planners, who are responsible for business trips reservations. Frequent flyer programs are an added bonus for business passengers. 2)Leisure Travelers They represent a totally different market. The most important consideration for most of them is the price. The lower the airfare, the more people will fly the respective airline. By and large, with the exception of wealthy travelers, this segment will not pay extra for premium services and will agree to change several planes during their trip if this option costs less than a direct flight. Despite lower margins provided by this segment, leisure travelers are very important to an airline's bottom line. Part of the reason is that technological progress in the area of teleconferencing and increased use of the internet for business communications is expected to reduce the number of business travelers. Thus, airlines are counting on the leisure segment to provide further growth. How can airlines benefit from the growth opportunities in the leisure segment without losing immediate profit opportunities in the business segment? This is a tough issue in airline marketing management. By improving services and reducing prices for economy class passengers, airlines risk that some business passengers will switch to economy class.

This has already happened with Japan Airlines, for example, which was forced to eliminate business class seats on some of its flights. On the other hand, if an airline focuses on business class passengers, it risks losing its economy class passengers to another airline. Since business class passengers are not many, a company relying mostly on business travelers will often end up flying half-empty planes, losing the potential revenue generated by lower priced economy seats. On the other hand, few airlines catering solely to economy class passengers can be successful because a low fare carrier must fill the entire plane if it is to generate revenue from its low-margin operations. The allocation of business and economy class seats on a plane is determined through a process called yield management. A good yield manager knows the approximate proportion of business and leisure travelers for each flight in advance, based on sophisticated statistical models. Thus he/she tries to sell early, the economy seats at a cheaper price, while keeping enough seats reserved for business travelers, who usually book at the last minute. Keeping just the right amount of business seats reserved is important: selling too few economy seats in

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advance may result in a less-than-full plane while selling too many economy seats may result in a full plane, but with insufficient revenue to gain a profit. This kind of segmentation serves airlines well enough when implemented within one company. It would be very difficult for any single airline to target just one of these two segments - business or leisure - successfully. There are exceptions - small regions that serve destinations where the majors do not fly, for example, are in a better position to implement a low price policy. They can even get business travelers to fly them despite the lack of premium services because no other airline would get them there. Southwest is a classic example, proving that low cost carriers can thrive. Major international carriers, however, need to target both the business and the leisure segments they may also target different ethnic and geographical segments differently, depending on the markets from which they draw the majority of their customers. For example, even though Japan Airlines advertise extensively to the American public, their message -"Your needs. Your Airline," seems to work best for the traditional Japanese audience. Inside one country, two national carriers may also focus on different destinations, which is the case with Canadian Airlines and Air Canada. Passengers' tastes determine airlines' strategies. While British Airways focuses on comfort and luxury, valued by European passengers, Air Canada equips its business class seats with plugs for laptops and telephones, appreciated by North American business travelers. MARKETING STRATEGIES Airlines formulate their Marketing Strategies keeping in mind the 7 PS of the Marketing Mix The 7Ps of Marketing Mix 1) Product Mix Getting the product right is the single most important activity of marketing. If the product isn't what the market wants, no amount of price adjustment or brilliant promotion will encourage consumers to buy it. The airline product is quite a complex one since it comprises of a service of incorporating the temporary user of airline seat and certain tangible products such as free flight bags or a free bottle of duty free spirit to encourage booking. The airline product includes of two types of services: 1. on the ground services, 2. In-flight services. The on-the-ground services include a convenient airport with car parking facilities, duty free' shopping quick and efficient checking of baggage, efficient service at reservation counter, transport to the airport, etc.

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The service provided inside is intangible and is highly variable. The airhostesses are trained to provide polite, warm and courteous service. The courteous service that the representatives at the baggage counter, reservation counter provide goes a long way in developing customer loyalty. The travel agents of the airline. Differentiating the Product It is important to recognize that what es also need to be efficient and polite. the consumers are demanding are not products, or features of products but the benefits they offer. Producing added benefits thus helps the marketer to distinguish one product from another. Good design or style of service can form the basis of differentiation. This enables the company to create a personality for its service. The design and decor of the aircraft provides opportunities to personalize their product as well as periodically to update them when differentiation under IATA regulations was virtually excluded, nonetheless, certain airlines were able to develop distinct personalities. Eagle Airlines created an entirely new market between New I York and Bermuda, for e.g. by developing an image of a friendly airline distinctive from other airline serving the route. A similar style was evident in Richard Branson's Virgin Airways. LEVELS OF PRODUCT FOUR PRODUCT LEVELS 1) The Core Service The core service of the airlines industry is to transport goods and services to various destinations. 2) The Supplementary Services The airline industry has many players they had a brand name like Air India, Jet Airways, British Airways. All of them had some common services to offer like connecting flights, through check-in, tele check in, food on board, and complementary gifts etc. Different classes like economy class, business class were introduced. Air concessions are given to school students, old people etc. Singapore airlines were the first to introduce small 8television screen for every passenger. The freebies are actually win-win deals between airlines and other services. All these added service helps the customer to decide upon which airlines he wants to travel. As competition increased and the customers wanted more the next phase evolved and that is the augmented service. 3) The Augmented Service This phase is where the customers expectations are met; the service providers kept working on new methods to meet the ever-changing customers demands. The players introduced online booking, which was very convenient for the service users. For Eg. British Airways business class has showers; its more spacious and comfortable. Sahara airlines offer its passengers six different types of cuisine like vegetarian, fat free, diabetic etc.

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This phase is the most crucial one; with increased competition service will become the final differentiation. 4)Future Service As mentioned above the customer needs keep changing, the future is unknown. The customers may be looking in for more frequent inexpensive air travel, something like air taxis, super sonic speed. This decreases the time thus reducing the cost. The diagrammatical representation of the core and supplementary services in the airline industry is shown below:

COMFORT/ SPACE

TICKETS

AUCTION

Core TRANSPOR T CONCESSIO BRAND NAME NS (Air India, Jet Airways) COMPLEMENTA RY GFITS

CONNECTI NG FLIGHTS

FOOD MULTICUISINE

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2) Price Mix Price plays as much a tool of marketing as promotion plays a critical role in the marketing mix. The concept of 'fair price' is paramount. Buyers judge whether a product is fairly priced by seeing whether it represents value for money. Pricing can be classified in three ways. DIVISION OF FARES: The final fares charged to the passengers include the following components:
o o o o

Basic fares Insurance Inland Aviation Travel Tax (IATT). Passenger Service Fee (PSF)

The basic fares include the operating cost incurred by the airlines and the profit margin. The major constituents of the operating cost in respect of domestic airlines in India are the Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) the basic raw material for this service industry, varies 30-40 % depending on aircraft utilization; Navigation, Landing & Parking costs 7-10%; Repair and Maintenance 13%, Manpower 12%; Acquisition/ Depreciation & Insurance 13% and balance other expenses. Pricing Strategies a)Premium Pricing: The airlines may set prices above the market price either to reflect the image of quality or the unique status of the product. The product features are not shared by its competitors or the company itself may enjoy a strong reputation that the 'brand image' alone is sufficient to merit a premium price.

b)Value for Money Pricing: The intention here is to charge the average price for the product and emphasize that it represents excellent value for money at this price. This enables the airline to achieve good levels of profit on the basis of established reputation. c)Cheap Value Pricing: The objective here is to undercut the competition and price is used to trigger the purchase immediately. Unit profits are low, but overall profits are achieved. Air India and Indian Airlines have slashed their prices to meet the competition of private airlines so that they can consolidate their position in the market.

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Airlines usually practice differential pricing. There are three classes: The First Class, The Executive or Business Class and The Economy Class. Fares for each class are different since the facilities provided and the comfort and luxury level is different in each class. Seasonal fares are also fixed, fares rise during the peak holiday times.

d)Low-cost Pricing: With the advent of the low-cost airlines in the Indian aviation industry, a different lowcost flying concept has come up. Since these low-cost airlines are trying to woo the customers by providing air travel in exceptionally low prices, a price-band kind of pricing has to be designed. In low-pricing strategies, the airlines provide very low prices for the flight tickets. Also, they prices are made cheaper by booking the tickets long before the flight date. e)APEX Fares In this scheme, people are given very cheap rates only if tickets are booked atleast before the specified time period. But the draw-back here is that if the booking is cancelled, a substantial amount of money is not returned.

3) Place Mix Marketing-channel distributions are among the most critical decisions facing the management. The companies chosen channel ultimately affect all the other marketing decisions. "Marketing channels are sets of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making the service available for consumption". Understanding what, where, why, when, and how the target market buy, is the first step in designing the marketing channel. The marketer must understand the service output levels desired by the target market and types and levels of services that the people want and expect when they purchase the service. Distribution channels The Four methods of distribution are as following:

Consolidation: The direct sale of tickets from airport to the passenger on the airline desk.

Tour Operator/ Travel Agent: Customers approach travel agents or tour operators who book the tickets from the airline and take commission. E.g. SOTC

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Affiliated with companies: As the name defines, airlines gets affiliated with companies who carry all its trips with a same airline who in turn gives special discounts or offers in return.

Direct through home leased system, e.g. Phone, fax, email and also online e-booking 4) Promotion Mix The formulation of an ideal promotion mix is essential to inform sense and persuade the users. In the Indian perspective, we need more creative efforts because the potential users in a majority of the cases dont prefer to use air services. The business magnets, executives, politicians, actors, high spending tourists etc are some of the users of the air services. The users appears to be more conscious, aware of their rights and in a majority of the cases are found to be sophisticated and therefore the promotional efforts have to be creative. Many airlines are facing financial crunch, it is pertinent that they make optimum use of different components of promotions. They are as follows : a)Advertising Airlines need creative advertisements to promote their business. In the view of rising cost of inputs and the increasing impact of worldwide economic depression on the airlines, advertisements should be budget optimistic vis--vis optimal. The telecast media and print media are important for promoting the air business. The airlines have to make sure that whatever strategic decision they make to promote the businesses are in a position to establish an edge over competitors promotional measures. Also the airlines should keep in mind the quality and the nature of the target markets and the level of expectations. This is essential to make advertisements proactive for the expansion of business. They are also required to assign due weight age to the efforts made for projection of positive image. We cant deny the fact that both Indian airlines and Air India have been facing image problems. The ads may be efficacious in transmitting the facts and removing the image problem. It is also essential that while advertising airlines should also keep in mind the image of our country, the scenic beauty, tourist attractions, rich cultural heritages or which would attract number of tourists. While advertising it is impact generating that one should select an opportune moment of flight is an attractive scene of take off, and so on. Airlines can also use broadcast media. The domestic flights should use radios because due to increasing access to FM. b)Publicity Publicity is an important component of promotion mix. It is a process of persuasive communication. It is very instrumental in sensitizing the persuasion process provided the media people, public relations officers provide their help. Strengthening the PR activities is essential to promote airlines business. The PRO, Receptionist, Travel agents, Media people are very important people in publicizing the business. The marketing professionals can seek the cooperation of media people by organizing dinners, meetings,

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get together, press conference etc, also giving them small gifts and motivating them to publish news items which are in favor of airlines. c)Sales promotion The sales promotion measures are meant for both the related sources channel sing and using the business, such as the travel agents, tour operators and all of them who process the services and the passengers and business houses who use the services. The travel agents contribute a lot to the promotion of airlines business and therefore the need to think of them in their favor on their priority basis. In addition the tour operators, the frontline staff also must be given priority. Hence they should be offer some incentives this will motivate them to promote the product. The user also deserves incentives. The incentives may be in the form of confessional services, a small gift etc. E.g. EMIs, which allow customers to pay in installments. d) Judo Tactics Easy Jet A] GO flight which was supposed to be the media event for BA resulted into a Disaster because easy Jet bought 10 tickets of the flight and gave free coupons of easyJet to the 148 passengers. B] Awareness on the wing of its Rivals: Contest on web offering FREE flight vouchers for guessing how much BAs GO would lose during the year.

e) Word of mouth Customer Loyalty Ladder This happens to be an important constituent of the promotion mix in which the promoters act as a hidden sales force. The satisfied groups of users, opinion leaders narrate outstanding merits or salient features of services used by them. If you travel by Air India and are satisfied with the services offered by them then it is natural that you will share your experiences with your friends relatives, they trust in you and therefore the stimulation process is on. The moment your friends and relatives get an opportunity to travel they find Air India their first choice. Ads may be ineffective, publicity may also be ineffective but word of mouth can never be ineffective 5) People Mix In the service industry, service personnel come in direct contact with their customers in the course of production and consumption of the services.

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Because people provide most services, the selection, training, and motivation of employees can make a huge difference in attaining customer satisfaction. Ideally, employees should exhibit competence, caring attitude, responsiveness, initiative, problem solving ability, and goodwill. Many service organizations trust their people enough to empower their front-line personnel to resolve customer problems. The airhostess in any airline come in contact with the customers in the process of providing the service, while the cock-pit crew are employees who contribute to the service product but do not come in direct contact with the customers. The physical presence and the percentage of time the customer is present reflect the customer contact and extent of contact respectively. Services with high contact are more difficult to control and manage because of the degree of variability in the quality, demand and nature of service. The service contact personnel in the airline industry is an airhostess who is expected to possess a pleasing personality with polite service handling. While on the other hand the cock pit crew, being categorized as a low contact personnel, require possessing high analytical and technical attributes. In the airline industry, there is also the ancillary service personnel, the travel agent who helps to create the service exchange but is not a part of the service. While delivering services, airlines ensure that the service is delivered as promised and this is often totally with in the control of the front-line staff. This ensures some amount of reliability. This in turn affects the degree Of responsiveness sought from customers. The quality of service that the frontlone staff provides is highly depended on his/her ability to communicate their credibility. Airlines deliver caring and individualized attention to customers through their airhostesses. Empathy implies that these personnel will listen, adapt, and be flexible in delivering what individual customers need. Also the appearance of an employee are important aspects as it forms the tangible dimensions of quality along with other factors like service quality, decor etc. To start off, airlines hire the right personnel with essential requirements. They recruit the right people and develop, and train them to deliver quality service. These employees are provided with effective and sufficient support systems and are motivated in a manner, they stick to the organization. They are more treated as customers, rather than employees. For example, Delta Airlines recruits an employee, and moulds him to cater to their demands. These employees are sent to places like the US and Frankfurt on a 21 day training programme. The successful completion of this training motivates the staff to stay on with the airline. They are provided with offers such as one-month bonus or some incentive, on the achievement of the sales target. 6) Process Mix The process of airline service lays emphasis on the involvement of channels, front line staff, travel agency offices, offices of the tour operators or so form where the services flow & reach to the ultimate users. The process begins at the time of reservation goes on to the confirmation of seats. For e.g.: Computer reservation system of Indian Airlines enables any reservation request from anywhere in the world to be auctioned in minutes. The reservation facility is accessible through all-major computerized reservation system of the world.

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By giving details of where to book and how to book airlines help in providing quality services to the customers. They also offer concession, by not charging any cancellation charges and also giving them the option to make a change in the reservation status if he requests so on the presentation of ticket, all these facilities go a long way in increasing passenger convenience. Then facilities at the airport, the baggage handling, flight information, etc. also helps in delivering quality service and making travel a pleasure. In the aircraft the meal service, in-flight entertainment, reading material, in-flight amenities, etc. help the customers, the travelers to have an enjoyable and convenient travel. All these procedures form a part of the total process designed to deliver quality service. Airlines are making every effort to constantly redefine service procedures to enhance service satisfaction levels. 7) Physical Mix Physical Evidence refers to the environment in which the service is delivered and where the service industry and customer interact. The aircraft by itself, the seating configuration meant to be comfortable and spacious, and the in-flight food provide physical evidence to the airline service. The Boeing Company and The Airbus Industry are the best commercial aircraft makers and almost all airline industries make use of one of these airlines. The seating is such that it is comfortable and there is enough leg space. The in-flight food is another, important aspect, a wide selection of meals is offered to the passengers. Passengers are requested to indicate their reference at the time of reservation itself. Delta Airlines has introduced new sleeper seats with electric controls for reclining lumbar support, leg rest extension, expanded seat back height for a more insulated environment etc. thus providing highly comfortable seating. Booking offices, ticket counters, etc. must be spacious and well designed with good looks. Further the air crafts must be given good exteriors and must be maintained wel1. The aircraft must have elegant interiors and must be incorporated with all basic facilities. The aircrafts must have well designed seats with more leg room especially in the business class. Domestic lounges are enhanced with good interiors and basic amenities which will make it an ideal place to conduct business, entertain or relax. The jet logo prominently displayed on each of its aircrafts, is used a cue to trigger of a reminder of the customers experience at Jet & also of all the values that jet airways stands for.

The physical evidence would also include the other facilities in the aircraft. Some of the bigger aircrafts have more than the usual facilities on board. These sort of tangible clues act as identification marks for the airline & help the customer to evaluate on airline from another. Aviation Industry 23

To provide safe and efficient operations, set industry standards, provide excellent customer service developing a well trained and highly motivated workforce. We aim to revolutionize the way India flies.

ABOUT KINGFISHERS

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Kingfisher Airlines is

India's first and

only private airline to commence operations with a brand new fleet of aircraft. Kingfisher Airlines offers Full Service at True Value and promises an unparalleled experience to the Indian air traveler. For the first time in the Indian skies, Kingfisher Airlines offers world-class in-flight entertainment with personal video screens for every seat. Theres a wide selection of 5 video channels and 10 audio channels available on-board. Also on offer are extra-wide seats and spacious legroom, delicious gourmet meals, international-class cabin crew and a whole host of comforts and delights. Kingfisher Airlines also facilitates doorstep delivery of tickets on guest request. Fly the Good Times with Kingfisher Airlines.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY KINGFISHER AIRLINES In-flight entertainment to take-off with Personalized screens and headphones broadcasting 5 video channels and the exclusive Kingfisher Radio 10 audio channels to make your journey an entertaining experience. Feeling comfortable, now? You will, with the seats weve got in store for you. Indulgently wide, plenty of legroom and adjustable headrests. Our superbly groomed flight attendants will ensure that youre well taken care of. Bon appetite A special selection of food and beverages are available on board.

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The little details The Kingfisher Class experience begins even before you step on board. When you book your ticket online in the comfort of your home or office. At spacious terminals. At the convenient self Check-in counters. OTHER FEATURES OF KINGFISHERS Information

Customers can avail of information literally at their fingertips today with KINGFISHER starting its own website which gives complete details to the customer & also entertains queries. In case of airline industry, up to date information regarding flight schedules, ticket fares, information about promotion schemes etc available to customers. It also includes providing information to employees regarding new policies affecting the airline & equipping them with enough information, which the customers might demand. Extensive training is provided to in-flight attendants regarding handling customer queries, knowledge about the airplane itself, knowledge about cuisine etc.

Consultation KINGFISHER is moving more actively into the role of consultant today. They are doing away with the travel agents & designing & selling packaged tours to consumers directly. In this aspect they often act as consultants to the customer, by giving him advice & suggestions regarding the type of plan he can choose, the benefits he will get the mode of travel he should choose etc. Another aspect to consultation is when the customer approaches the airline regarding traveling to particular destination, they gives him a variety of choices of routes that he can take. In some cases also design special menus & benefits in consultation with its frequent fliers by keeping in constant touch with them & asking them for suggestion as to what they want in their airline which will make their experience more comfortable.

Order taking The order taking procedure is essentially the booking procedure. The important aspect to be noted here is that the procedure is smooth, easily understood & fast. Reservation of

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airline tickets is now easy and reliable since it is fully computerized. There are 24 hours reservations. Passengers can specify their seat preferences at the time of reservation. KINGFISHER uses the telephone, fax, and email methods of booking. The emphasis here is on fast booking & at the same time getting the required information form the customer. This is done by establishing a standard reservation procedure & format thus reducing the risk of inconsistent service delivery. The online booking system also facilitates better order taking & processing. The scheduling aspect assumes importance as reservations on the wrong flight to the wrong place are likely to be unpopular.

Hospitality & Caretaking With the increased competition today in the airline industry & the increasing similarity of services offered by each airline, hospitality has emerged as a key-differentiating factor between one airline & the other. The hospitality aspect of KINGFISHER is tested right form the time of the reservation (courtesy of the booking official) to the airlines desk at the airport to the actual in-flight travel (the attitude of the flight attendants) to the post flight help extended.

Safekeeping The safekeeping issue is that of safeguarding the customers baggage. Baggage allowances are offered about 30 kgs of check-in baggage is allowed. The customers entrust his baggage to KINGFISHER & it is then their responsibility to keep it in a proper condition. Children and infants usually travel along with their parents and guardian. In case of unaccompanied minors, customer service staff renders all assistance like checking in and escorting up to the aircraft and handing over to the senior-most cabin attendant on board the flight. He is looked after on board the flight right up to the point flight reaches the destination and he is received by his guardian.

Exceptions Special requests They very often receive special requests form customers with regards to meal preferences, special amenities for elderly people or children., medical needs etc. these needs have to considered & acceded to wherever possible.

Billing & payment

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The billing procedure is simple. The options available to the customer are plenty including credit card & travelers Cheques. KINGFISHER use the open account system with their corporate clients. Frequent fliers are also given special payment privileges.

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TYPES OF CUSTOMERS OF KINGFISHER

TYPES OF CUSTOMERS

BUSSINESS PASSENGERS

LEISURE PASSENGERS

Business passengers They are crucial for KINGFISHERprofitability. With less spare time and more cash in their pockets, they agree to pay a premium price for a premium service. Today business passengers account for approximately 48% of passengers, and these 48% contribute 66% of their revenue. The premium prices they pay provide wider and more comfortable seats, better choice of meals and seats, luxurious lounges. KINGFISHER has a multitude of premium services to offer to business travelers. Some of these extras range from seats equipped with faxes and telephones, to gambling machines, showers, massage services and suit ironing services in the recently introduced arrival lounges. Business passengers believe it is worth extra money if they can save time and arrive looking fresh for an important meeting. Business passengers will avoid transit flights even if a longer flight could save them money. But amongst other perks, flexible reservation services are probably the most important service being offered to them. Reservations for business trips are often made just a couple of days in advance. A no penalty cancellation policy is also very important to business passengers. Leisure Travelers / Passengers They represent a totally different market. The most important consideration for most of them is the price. The lower the airfare, the more people will fly. By and large, with the exception of wealthy travelers, this segment dont not pay extra for premium services and

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dont agree to change several planes during their trip if this option costs less than a direct flight. Despite lower margins provided by this segment, leisure travelers are very important to their bottom line. Part of the reason is that technological progress in the area of teleconferencing and increased use of the internet for business communications is expected to reduce the number of business travelers. Thus, KINGFISHER is counting on the leisure segment to provide further growth.

PRICE ANALYSIS Price plays as much a tool of marketing as promotion plays a critical role in the marketing mix. The concept of 'fair price' is paramount. Buyers judge whether a product is fairly priced by seeing whether it represents value for money. Pricing can be classified in three ways. DIVISION OF FARES: The final fares charged to the passengers include the following components: Basic fares Insurance Inland Aviation Travel Tax (IATT). Passenger Service Fee (PSF)

The basic fares include the operating cost incurred and the profit margin. The major constituents of the operating cost in respect are the Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) the basic raw material for this service industry, varies 30-40 % depending on aircraft utilization; Navigation, Landing & Parking costs 7-10%; Repair and Maintenance 13%, Manpower 12%; Acquisition/ Depreciation & Insurance 13% and balance other expenses.

How are fares arrived at? In capacity (seats) and frequency (flights) between any two points, market research the route in order to arrive at the total potential for that segment. In other words, the capacity

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and frequency is tailored to the size of the market. Accordingly, the pricing structure is also arrived at. Pricing or fare levels are arrived at after taking into consideration various factors; type of aircraft, configuration of aircraft (number of seats), density of route, competitor activity, and minimum breakeven cost. In order to achieve the breakeven seat factor and thereafter maximize loads, they embark upon a series of marketing activities. These will vary from a publicity campaign highlighting various facets of the Product, to sales, service, punctuality, ideal departure and arrival timings, connections and so on. In short, the entire focus is to increase the yield and load factor (seat factor). The yield or the bottom line is the income generated from ticket sales less costs incurred on the route.

Why do fares fall? When the yield drops or the seat factor falls, there is an immediately alerted to enquire into the causes for this. This leads to a fare war wherein the airline either tries to protect its market share or responds to another airline which tries to increase its own market share.

VARIOUS PRICING STRATEGIES

Premium Pricing: KINGFISHER sets prices above the market price either to reflect the image of quality or the unique status of their product. The product features which are not shared by its competitors. The company itself enjoy a strong reputation that the 'brand image' alone is sufficient to merit a premium price. Value for Money Pricing: The intention here is to charge the average price for the product and emphasize that it represents excellent value for money at this price. This enables them to achieve good levels of profit on the basis of established reputation.

Cheap Value Pricing: The objective here is to undercut the competition and price is used to trigger the purchase

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immediately. Unit profits are low, but overall profits are achieved. KINGFISHER have slashed their prices to meet the competition of other private airlines so that they can consolidate their position in the market. KINGFISHER usually practice differential pricing. There are three classes: The First Class, The Executive or Business Class and The Economy Class. Fares for each class are different since the facilities provided and the comfort and luxury level is different in each class. Seasonal fares are also fixed, fares rise during the peak holiday times. Low-cost Pricing: With the advent of the low-cost airlines in the Indian aviation industry, a different low-cost flying concept has come up. Since these low-cost airlines are trying to woo the customers by providing air travel in exceptionally low prices, a price-band kind of pricing has to be designed. In low-pricing strategies, KINGFISHER provide very low prices for the flight tickets. Also, the prices are made cheaper by booking the tickets long before the flight date. APEX Fares: In this scheme, people are given very cheap rates only if tickets are booked at least before the specified time period. But the draw-back here is that if the booking is cancelled, a substantial amount of money is not returned.

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ANALYSIS OF TICKET BOOKING PATTERN OF KINGFISHER IN 2007 AND 2008

40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% KF OFF CALL CENTER ONLINE AGENT TRAVEL AGENT ONLINE DIRECT 2007 2008

INCREASE AND EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE TWO MAJOR SOURCES OF INCOME OF KINGFISHER

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1) INCREASE IN CARGO (MILLION TONNES)

800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2005 2006 2007 2008(E) 2009(E) 2010(E)

(DOMESTIC)

INCREASE IN PASSENGER REVENUE (%)

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12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2005 2006 2007 2008(E) 2009(E) 2010(E)

Thus it is very clear that over the years KINGFISHER has shown a tremendous increase in its revenue.

COMPARITIVE EARNING OF OTHER AVIATION INDUSTRY IN INDIA AGAINST KINGFISHER IN THE YEAR 2006 (Rs. IN CRORE)

7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 JET SAHARA AIR DECCAN KINGFISHER SPICE JET GOAIR

COMPARATIVE EARNING OF KINGFISHER AGAINST OTHER INTERNATIONAL AVAITION INDUSTRY IN THE YEAR 2006 (Rs. IN CRORE)

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20 15 10 5 0 RYANAIR SOUTHWEAT KINGFISHER BRITISH AIRWAYS AIR FRANCE

For KINGFISHER Mumbai to Dehli sector has been the major source of revenue. It has accounted for 11.3% of its total revenue. It is not only a revenue generating sector but also a major profit generating sector for kingfisher. Hence they all provided the best facilities like best seats, best terminals, frequent flights, best scheduled flights between Mumbai and Dehli. There has been a 70% increase in the number of flights between the two cities QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF OPERATING REVENUE OF KINGFISHER (Rs. IN MILLIONS)

1550 1500 1450 1400 1350 1300 1250 1200 1150 Q1 07 Q2 07 Q3 07 Q4 07 Q1 08

DOMESTIC

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MARKET SHARE OF KINGFISHER AND OTHER AVIATION INDUSTRIES IN INDIA IN THE YEAR 2008

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% AIR INDIA JET KINGFISHER OTHERS

KINGFISHER V/S JET AIRWAYS (MALLYA V/S GOYAL) On October 28, at a ceremony to unveil Air Deccan's new-look aircraft in Mumbai, On October 28, at a ceremony to unveil Air Deccan's new-look aircraft in Mumbai, chairman of United Breweries group and Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya, said with characteristic flourish: "We have given the full service carriers a run for their money. Now, we will give the low cost carriers a run for theirs." Though he did not refer to any one airline, it was clear his statement was directed at Jet Airways and Jetlite (formerly Air Sahara). Ever since Mallya launched Kingfisher in May 2005, making it number one in India has been a foregone conclusion; it's the world's biggest carriers he wants to take on. Kingfisher's meteoric rise has taken rival and unquestioned number one domestic carrier in the country, Jet Airways, quite by surprise. Used to competing with only Sahara (never a worthy opponent anyway), Jet enjoyed several years of unfettered success after it had trounced Indian Airlines's monopoly and market, becoming India's premier airline since 1993. This supremacy has now been challenged by a nimble and aggressive Kingfisher which, in just two years and following Mallya's buyout of Air Deccan, is commanding the same market

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share as Jet Airways and Jetlite. He may not publicly admit it but Goyal's troubles began soon after Kingfisher took to the skies. "If Naresh Goyal had a magic wand, he'd probably wish away the last two years. Few things have gone right for his airline since the second half of 2005," says a close associate who was on his board but has since resigned. In Mallya, Goyal appears to have found his first worthy opponent. If Goyal is well connected and knows how to keep the politicians beaming, Mallya is "not exactly an orphan". If Goyal has managed to hire professionals and build a brand, Mallya is a past-master at building brands. And if Jet has never had a problem raising money before, Mallya has group United Breweries (with a market capitalisation of $5 billion) backing him. In its initial avatar Kingfisher was aiming to be a low-fare carrier, but soon after its launch Mallya converted it to premium service, taking Jet head-on. Mallya is spending money like water (the airline lost Rs 400 crore in the first year) and has left no stone unturned to grab Jet's market, launching direct advertising campaigns asking Jet fliers to convert to Kingfisher, luring them with miles, better food and a slicker, cooler yet equally efficient option. Mallya is proving to be "maniacal" about being on time; every delay is examined threadbare in a much dreaded early morning conference which he conducts over the telephone with his senior executives, no matter which part of the world he's in. When Kingfisher started, many in the industry had questioned its survival. "Not only has it survived," says Kamal Choubey, officer on special duty to civil aviation minister Praful Patel, "one simply cannot deny that Kingfisher's product is the best in the industry." There are few who appreciate Jet's subtle, quiet efficiency when it's up against Kingfisher's flamboyance. Gopal Sarma, CEO of Feedback Ventures, who accumulated 400,000 miles on Jet Airways' frequent flier service, says he now often chooses Kingfisher simply because its service on the ground is so superior. He received a Kingfisher Gold card in the mail and has already accumulated 80,000 miles on it. "If I call Kingfisher and ask to be put on a flight in two hours, they give me incredible service. With the amount I travel, I appreciate things like this," he says.

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Other than the corporate flyer, Kingfisher is trying to attract the young, upwardly mobile Indian who aspires to fly Kingfisher simply because he identifies with Mallya and his style statement of living life king-size. Mallya's passion for his airline (some call it obsession) is very clears. In 2006, Jet's initial troubles were compounded by its messy buyout of Air Sahara which many feel was simply a move to thwart Kingfisher from acquiring it. Against the advice of his senior colleagues, Goyal offered Rs 2,300 crore (Rs 23 billion) for it, a pretty high price for the airline. "It was like a bee in his bonnet. Once he set his mind to it, he refused to back down, even though everyone warned him it wasn't a great buy," says a senior official who has since left Jet. As was widely predicted, Jet's share price reacted adversely and has never recovered to what it listed at. The company's total market capitalisation following the announcement of the Sahara deal fell from over Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) to Rs 4,558 crore (Rs 45.58 billion). The moment the deal was called up, the share price recovered somewhat - a clear indication of what the market thought of the Sahara buy, but even today it is trading below the price at which it listed. At roughly the same time the civil aviation ministry threw open international routes to private carriers. Jet saw this as a natural extension to its business (and one where it enjoys firstmover advantage) and ordered new aircraft. With competition rising and losses deepening (in the first half of 2006-07, it totted up losses over Rs 100 crore), it needed to raise money and the intention was to do that through foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCB) of $400 million. But with the share price languishing in the Rs 600-800 range, Goyal would have been forced to dilute a larger portion of his equity than he was willing. So, the issue was postponed. Around the same time as Jet announced its buyout of Sahara, Air Deccan listed. By then Goyal had seen Air Sahara at close quarters and even he realised it was not worth the

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money he'd committed - but withdrawing proved harder than he'd expected. "As the court battle with Sahara proceeded, it was far from evident what the final judgment would be. I think he (Goyal) chose to go in for a known position rather than an uncertain one, which could be worse," says a Jet official, who was privy to the goings-on. These events coincided with a bloodbath in fares in the domestic market as Air Deccan cut prices to take on new competition, and the new competition cut prices to take on Air Deccan. "All the players - full service or low-fare - were sucked into it, so obviously everyone started making losses," says Kapil Kaul, CEO of Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation. With losses on domestic operations rising and the launch of international operations - which will pay off only later - most investment firms and brokerages are maintaining a "reduce" position on Jet stock. Says Gautam Roy, aviation analyst with Mumbai-based financial services firm Edelweiss: "We are not very optimistic on Jet's immediate prospects. It is more a long term story." It has now been two years since Jet has been trying to raise $400 million through some form or the other (earlier through an FCCB, now a rights issue) and it's proved more elusive than Goyal could have imagined. Although Jet officials say that by end January, they should be able to raise the funds, industry sources say they'll only believe it when they see it. Kingfisher's chief financial officer, A Raghunathan, argues that this is one of Kingfisher's big strengths vis-vis Jet. "Obviously, our own balance sheet is not strong enough. The group's backing is a pillar for us." He says that the airline has got Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) in equity, loans and guarantees from the group to raise finances. Jet loyalists are quick to point out that using group funds to get into a sector where you bleed is not good business sense, and that Jet has raised over $2 billion in the past from international loans on its own strength, passing the intense scrutiny of lenders. Then, during the middle of this year, Mallya made a calculated move, buying out Air Deccan for what many feel is a "song", to deftly match Jet and Jetlite's marketshare. So, while Jet's management has been struggling to make sense of what it inherited in the

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Sahara deal, Mallya is capitalising on Deccan's advantages and has entered a segment that's sure to give returns in India. What has compounded problems for Jet is its chairman, Goyal's centralised style of functioning (according to sources he only trusts board member and confidant Vic Dungca, based in London), leading to an exodus at the middle and senior management levels over the last two years. Often, major decisions exclude top officials, so the joke in Jet is that "whenever anything of significance happens, senior officials are the last to know"! "To be an able general, you have to carry your troops with you. That Goyal hasn't been able to do," says a former board member of Jet. With Kingfisher and several other career options coming up, what started off as a steady trickle has become a virtual flood. Goyal's problems on this front intensified when four senior executives of the airline resigned together in April 2007, including highly trusted vice president for corporate and public affairs, Nandini Verma, who'd spent 20 years with Jet. The latest who's planning to abandon the Jet stable and jump onto the Kingfisher bandwagon is Charles Soon, head of airport services, who after being publicly castigated by Goyal for a flight delay has been in a huff and is looking to quit. Eight former employees that Business Standard spoke to said that the chairman's style of functioning "left a lot to be desired". (Executive director Saroj K Datta and chief executive officer (CEO) Wolfgang Prock-Schauer refused to comment on this, arguing that disgruntled employees will have grouses.) In contrast, barring erratic timings and odd schedules, United Breweries group and Kingfisher airline executives don't have many complaints against their chairman. Several Kingfisher senior officials are old UB hands who have spent 25-30 years with the group. However, as Saroj Datta puts it, people come and people go. He says that Jet's attrition rate has been constant and that in any industry with competition and new opportunities, things like this will happen. "We have 10,000 employees. Even if 100 people leave, it's not very significant. We had seen it and have been well prepared for it," says he. "Yes, people are leaving, but are loads falling?" asks a Jet source. Like rival Kingfisher, Jet Airways is a one-man show (without

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Naresh Goyal or Vijay Mallya, both companies would be rudderless), making it a shared weakness. But unlike Kingfisher, which is yet to build a strong foundation, Jet already has one. It has a phenomenal network and will expand by 20 aircraft from April 2007 to March 2008 (it now has 70 aircraft). According to Wolfgang Prock Schauer, the last two years have been tough for the entire aviation industry in India, not just for his airline, and he doesn't think that the rise of one airline - with India and its gigantic market - has to necessarily coincide with the fall of another. "While things may look rosy for Kingfisher right now, Jet has been through and survived worse," says a former Jet Airways board member, his point being that Mallya should not underestimate Goyal's strengths.

Swot Analysis

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SWOT
STRENGTH OPPORTUNI TIES

WEAKNESS

THREATS

S-STRENGTHS

HUGE BRANDNAME- One of the most important strength of kingfisher is that it has a huge brand name. The name this company has earned for itself is enough to speak for it. Customers have trusted this company for years.

REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY- Kingfisher is providing services to almost all part of India. It is also providing services to many parts outside India.

EFFICIENT STAFF- Kingfisher has one of the best staff in Indian aviation industry. The most enthusiastic, helpful, caring staff makes passengers feel at home while flying.

CAPITALISATION-

Kingfisher is one of the airlines which is capable to bear losses

because of the huge finance support it enjoys.

VISIONOR-

kingfisher it backed by the great vision of Vijay Mallay Who can take

kingfisher to the world THE DECCAN DEAL- - which can gives it market share, a new market segment

W-WEAKNESS

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UNDER PENETRATED MARKET- The total passenger traffic was only 50 million as on 31st Dec 2005 amounting to only 0.05 trips per annum as compared to developed nations like United States have 2.02 trips per annum.

INDAIN MENTALITY- Most of the Indian people still prefer railway traveling to airlines. Hence Kingfisher needs to work hard in this direction to attract more passengers by providing them better services for which it might have to spend more towards customer welfare.

UNTAPPED CARGO MARKET- Air cargo market has not yet been fully taped in the Indian markets Hence much of the earning scope is lost.

INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRAIN- The infrastructure development has not kept pace with the growth in aviation services sector leading to a bottleneck. There is a huge investment requirement for physical infrastructure for airports.

EMPLOYEE SHORTAGE- There is clearly a shortage of trained and skilled manpower in the aviation sector as a consequence of which there is cut-throat competition for employees which, in turn, is driving wages to unsustainable levels. Moreover, the industry is unable to retain talented employees.

O-OPPORTUNITIES

EXPECTED INVESTMENT- investment of about US $30 billion will be made.

EXPECTED MARKET- Average growth of aviation sector is about 25%-30% and the expected market size is projected to grow upto100 million by 2010. GROWING TOURISM- Due to growth in tourism, there has been an increase in number of the international and domestic passengers. The estimated growth of domestic passenger segment is at 50% per annum and growth for international passenger segment is 25%

RISISNG INCOMES- Due to the rise in income levels, the disposable income is also higher which are expected to enhance the number of flyers.

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T-THREATS

INCREASING FUEL PRICE- As fuel prices have climbed, the inverse relationship between fuel prices and airline stock prices has been demonstrated. Moreover, the rising fuel prices have led to increase in the air fares.

DECLINING YEILD- LCCs and other entrants together now command a market share of around 46%. Legacy carriers are being forced to match LCC fares, during a time of escalating costs. Increasing growth prospects have attracted & are likely to attract more players, which will lead to more competition. All this has resulted in lower returns for all operators.

TRUNK ROUTE-

It is also a matter of concern that the trunk routes, at present, are

not fully exploited. One of the reasons for inability to realize the full potential of the trunk routes is the lack of genuine competition. The entry of new players would ensure that air fares are brought to realistic levels, as it will lead to better cost and revenue management, increased productivity and better services. This in turn would stimulate demand and lead to growth.

HIGH INPUT COST- Apart from the above-mentioned factors, the input costs are also high. Some of the reasons for high input costs are:Withholding tax on interest repayments on foreign currency loans for aircraft acquisition. Increasing manpower costs due to shortage of technical personnel.

RECOMENDATIONS THUS FROM ALL THE ABOVE ANALYSIS OF ISERVICES, MARKET STRUCTURE ANALYSIS, REVENUE ANALYSIS, COMPETITON ANALYSIS, PEST ANALYSIS, SWOT ANALYSIS WE CAN SAY THAT THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAIN AREA WHERE KINGFISHER NEEDS TO CONCENTRATE TO BRING ABOUT MODIFICATION IN ORDER TO ENHANCE ITS BUSINESS, EARNINGS AND GOODWILL.

Due to increasing competition in the aviation industry it is important for KINGFISHER to increase its working standard to match its competitors levels. It needs to distinguish itself from the rest of its competitor by providing unique services- like regional food, entertainment etc. To meet the needs of passengers and to get additional customers it needs to think from the customers point of view.

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It needs to be consistent with its technical services (like booking system, route chosen etc.) so that it does not disturb the passengers. The technical services like the booking system, the check in timings should be the most convenient of all other airlines. Security is the key factor- the safer the airline the more preferable it is. Security should be in both the terms that is from external sources like hijackers and also internal safety like safe landing etc.

They should provide more personalize services to passengers so that need of each passenger is taken care of. It should expedite the procedure of its alliance with Jet Airways, so that their flights are more cost effective in this recession period.

The Airlines should market itself very effectively with the help of big Brand Ambassadors. This will indeed popularize the brand among the masses resulting into more business.

The Airlines should time and again declare various attractive ticketing schemes along with gifts and discounts. This would contribute in the revenue of the airlines. The Airlines should give special privilege and best deals to its regular customers, as loyalty rewards.

Here are some Recommendations which Jets Airways should implement to meet its competitors and to increase its market reputation in terms of tangible & intangible value

The efficiency should be such that arent any delays or cancellation of flights which forces customers to turn towards other airlines. Jet any appoint cabin crew which who can speak the regional language of the place where the flight is distinct.

One Indian, one regional food option should be provided. They should also take into consideration those food habits of senior citizens. The method of booking tickets, the flight timings and the route should remain the same for as long as possible. (That is that there should not be any frequent changes.)

they should also start advertising on television, or put up some hoarding during special offers, give regular up dates in newspapers

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They can also have some famous personality as their brand ambassador (like some movie star or some sports personality etc) to further promote their services to local public.

Also this will help kingfisher to create a vibrant image and secure the number one position in the market.

SUMMARISED STUDY OF THE ABOVE THROUGH POWERPOINT SLIDES.

P.T.O.

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Ind
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Significa Quick M

Changing Govt. Pattern About Aviation Industry

Foreign Investment Opportunities Disinvestment of Govt. Removal of Entry Exit Barrier Private Participation Liberalisation of Taxes & Tariffs Starting Civil Aviation Policy

Case Study

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Kingfisher

About Kingfisher
Launched in May 2005 Chairman- Mr. Vijay Mallay International class crew cabin Whole host of comforts and Delights

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Features of Kingfisher
Websites Service Provides Up-to-date Information Provides Travelling Consultancy Online Ticket Booking Hospitality & Caring Safekeeping fo Baggages Easy Payment

Passenger Analysis
Business Passengers
Regular Travelers Can Afford Premiun Cost They Believe Money Worth Lies in Saving of Time They dont Mind Long Jorunies Leisure Passengers
Rare Travelers Prefer Low Cost They Believe Money Worth Lies in Other Srevices Like Food, Seat etc They Mind Long Non Stop Jounies

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 Social Analysis Changing traveling habits Changing income Religious customs attached to food etc.

Technological Analysis Online booking Auction of unbooked seats at concessiional rates Entertaining compliants.

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Price Sturcture
Premiun Pricing Value For Money Pricing Cheap Value Pricing Low Cost Pricing Apex Princing

Kingfisher v/s Jet Airways

Mallya Better condition of flights as its a new entry into this sector Excellent external financial support Centralized Working Deccan deal might help securing new market Goyal Comparatively poor fight conditions Dependent on its own balance sheet Decentralized working Sahara aquisation helped grabbing the market.

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 Has to build professional team. Mallyas knowladge isnt parallel to Goyals Unable to leverage connection

Has a long build Reputation Incompetable knowledge of Goyal ExcellantLobbing services an ability to laverage connection.

SWOT Analysis
Strength Huge brandname Regional connectivity Efficient staff Capitalisation Visinor Deccan deal Weakness Under penetrated market Indian mentality Untapped CargoMarket Infrastructure constrain Employee storage.

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 Opportunities Expected investment Expected market Growing tourism Rising income.

Threats Increasing fuel price Declining yield Trunk route High input cost.

Conclusion- Problem Areas

Increase working standard to match competitors level Provide unique services to distinguish itself form the rest. Technical stability is a must. Security- extranal and internal safety.

Recommendations 1

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RECCOMENDATIONS
Fights should be regular so rhat people dont turn elsewhere. Regional language should be used in flights Flight timings, route etc should be standardi zed. Must advertise their airline Get famous brand ambassador.

Recommendations 2

RECOMMENDATIONS
Effective Advertising Loyalty Rewards to regular customers. Use of known Brand Ambassadors Designing attractive Ticketing Schemes. Get famous brand Ambassadors
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