Aviation airborne

By V Thulasidas CMD,
National Aviation Company of India (NACIL)

The aviation industry has been quick to latch on to the new trends, and has come up with innovations to attract customers, which, in turn, has added to rising outbound and inbound tourists. Ever since the market was opened to private players, flying has shed its tag of exclusivity. A significant chunk of passengers are first-time flyers.

Sensing this rising traffic, airlines have introduced more amenities even in their economy class, like advanced in-flight entertainment systems and better seats with more leg room. Non-stop flight launched by Air India is a paradigm shift in how the aviation industry has evolved. The world's most technologically advanced aircraft offers immediate connectivity, economises on fuel usage and provides greater comfort.

More passenger amenities: With increasing traffic at airports, the authorities are paying as much attention to airport amenities within the airline. Thoughtfully-designed airport architecture and facilities like conveyor belts, baggage handling, kiosks to print boarding passes, parking lots, etc save time at airports.

Online ticketing: The reliance on ticketing agents has decreased with the convenience of online ticketing. This is a win-win situation for both the airline as well as the passenger. The airline saves money while the passengers save time.

Travel websites: Websites have helped passengers take advantage of low air fares. They have recovered well since the dotcom bust, and have become vital cogs of the travel and tourism industry.

Special packages: Increasingly, government tourism boards are entering into alliances with a range of private entities to lure tourists to their destinations. These entities include national airlines, restaurants and hotels, railways, etc. The passenger gets a better deal through a single window system. As the global travel and tourism industry matures, one will see more innovations in the near future.

The growth of tourism has a long way to go. To sustain this growth it is necessary to have a better understanding of the end customers and the factors that drive their demand. This helps in delivering quality and value. Growth of inbound tourism to India has been tremendous and we need to sustain this growth by matching the customer's expectations to our delivery.

We have witnessed that the share of travel to the larger more popular destinations is on the wane as more exotic destinations becomes a favourite. To satiate this demand the industry has to create packages for the consumers which suit their need, and airline companies have to expand route network to include such destinations.

We have seen a trend forming in Europe and the US where ageing populations are looking for authenticity and mysticism on their travels. These are the same target market that have high incomes and are concerned about their mental and physical well being. India has always been a favourite with the travellers, who come to witness our culture and our heritage. The products that should be offered to them revolve around relaxation, wellness, health - spa tourism, medical tourism and spiritual tourism.

Air India is set to induct more aircraft in 2008-09 which will enable to expand our network further. We will also receive the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in this period. The most significant aspect of 2008-09 will be a shift in plans from a combination of 'old and new' aircraft to 'new and old' aircraft, in terms of the composition mix. This would benefit the end customer because Air India would be able to provide better service with a much younger fleet.

The ongoing merger process would be completed in the next 18 months and the benefits will accrue to the merged company thus enabling it to become financially stronger for undertaking further growth in fleet and network expansion.

We look to the government to allow more private investment in airports. Today the crux of the air traffic problems lie in airport congestion and looking at the increased levels of traffic expected in the coming years, it is important that the government take serious measures to tackle the issue. Rising costs of air turbine fuel has put a lot of pressure on carriers. Therefore, we again look to the government to take some steps to reduce the increase in these costs to allow carriers to give the best service to passengers at competitive rates.