Jet Airways' Strategy, Operations and Competitive Position

Jet Airways' strategy in the 1990s was to position itself differently from Indian Airlines, which was then the dominant player in Indian aviation. Indian Airlines had a wide network of destinations across India, along with a large and varied fleet of aircraft, the pick of flying slots at airports, and the valuable backing of the national government. Despite these advantages, the airline's performance was far from satisfactory. The airports and planes were badly maintained, the staff was indifferent (and sometimes rude) to passengers, and operations were ridden with inordinate delays and cancellations. Despite this, the airline was profitable, as passengers wishing to fly had no other choice until the early 1990s...

Jet Airways' prospects improved further when, after years of lobbying on the part of private domestic airlines, the GoI permitted the airline and Air Sahara to fly international routes in early 2005...

Jet Airways was also on the verge of launching flights to the US when its plans were stymied by allegations that the airline was linked to terrorist groups.