| Jazeera Airways unveils strategy, vision for 2009 |
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 9: Jazeera Airways, the Kuwait and Dubai-based low fare airline Monday held a trade and media conference at the Marina Hotel. The event, headlined “Freedom Forever 3,” was aimed at providing an update on the airline’s current position and the unveiling of its strategic plans and vision for the year ahead. “The strength of Jazeera Airways’ network which currently includes 55 routes to 22 destinations in three continents; our commitment to tight cost control; and the success of our new Dubai hub as a complement to operations in Kuwait, has meant that we have established a strong platform for growth in the coming years,” Marwan Boodai, Jazeera Airways Chairman, explained.
According to Boodai, the airline, “thanks to our spirit of innovation and service,” has done exceptionally well in staying on top of the local aviation industry despite having to contend with a lot of external issues foremost of which, is the global financial crisis. “The sale and leaseback of our existing fleet and our 40 aircraft delivery positions to Shaab Leasing has meant that our airline is cash rich and free of debt — giving us a very strong position going forward, especially now that oil prices have substantially gone down,” he added. Boodai also disclosed that the airline has increased its capital over the past year to KD 20 million ($73 million), and witnessed an oversubscription of its shares by six times and a saw its par value growing five times, following its listing on the Kuwait Stock Exchange last Jan 14.
The Jazeera Airways Chairman also announced that the airline has received delivery of four brand new aircraft during the last year from its firm order of 40 Airbus A320s bringing its total fleet size to eight, as well as the launching of five new, exciting destinations: Istanbul, Doha, Khartoum, Sana’a and Deir Ez Zoor; increasing its network to 25 destinations while at the same time delivering exceptional value and service to its passengers and shareholders alike. Boodai also said that Jazeera Airways has planned a series of key initiatives for 2009, which he said will enable the airline to build on its excellent results in 2008; among these is the launch of five new destinations, and the accelerated delivery of two new aircraft by June this year (bringing the total number to 10), which will support the start-up of further new routes in the year ahead.
He also disclosed that in the continued buildup of its Dubai hub, flight frequencies will increase to 81 in 2009 from 53 last year; and 13,365 seats in 2009 from 8,735 in 2008 and has set a target of 2.5 million passengers for 2009. Boodai also stressed that Jazeera Airways will make a substantial investment in the airline’s commercial infrastructure to make it easier to book flights and will offer a revised pricing structure that will reflect the abolition of fuel surcharges with immediate effect, and the airline’s commitment to offer fares at 25 percent less than legacy competitors. He also added that the airline’s reservation system has been upgraded along with an improved check-in process and expanded sales teams across the airline’s network will offer passengers an even better experience. Improvements will also be made to its in-air, on-board service.
“The strength of our airline lies not in our aircraft or commercial assets but in the people who help run it, “ he said before introducing its new management team which he called “All Stars” and made up of the following: Andrew Cowen as CEO; Steven Greenway, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO); John Turnipseed, Vice President, Human Resources. Reinhard Kossack, Chief Operating Officer; Bara Pasupathi, Chief Financial Officer; Abdullah Al Hudaid, VP — Engineering & Maintenance; Ali Fairooz, VP — Ground Operations; Bader Al Mershed, VP-Industry Affairs; Falah Al Shimmery, VP — Operations; and Michael Hayden, VP — Strategy & Planning.
“The team brings together a wealth of experience spanning 150 years with various airlines around the world!” he exclaimed. Marwan Boodai will continue to oversee the airline’s operations as Chairman while new CEO Andrew Cowen will manage day-to-day running of the airline. Formerly CEO of Sama Airlines in Saudi Arabia he also held senior roles at Go Airlines and British Airways in the UK.
Steven Greenway was formerly CCO of SkyEurope Airlines and senior manager at Virgin Blue in Australia and Virgin Atlantic in the UK, while John Turnipseed formerly held the role of VP-HR at Eos Airlines and Southwest Airlines both in the USA.
Commenting on the airline’s outlook for 2009, the Jazeera Airways Chairman said “we are very excited about the coming year. There is a very strong potential for us to grow our operations in the Middle East, especially with such low market penetration in the low-fare airlines sector of 3-4 percent,” adding he looks to a growth of 51 percent for this year. Boodai also said that though the effects of the global economic downturn are unknown, historically, low fare airlines do well in such climates and with the quality of its product and through the manifold improvements it planned for the coming year, he stressed he is confident Jazeera Airways is assured of its position in advance of the upturn in maintaining its competitive leadership.
Before concluding his presentation, Boodai thanked those in the travel industry with whose partnership, he said, enabled the airline to achieve the distinction of fastest growing airline in the region. Following Boodai to the rostrum, CCO Steven Greenway announced a number of offers and promotions that Jazeera Airways has on offer for both passengers and travel agents like the 15 percent discount on any fare booked via agency log-on from February until March 31, 2009, among others. Jazeera Airways currently operates a fleet of eight new Airbus A32s from its two hubs in Kuwait and Dubai. Each aircraft is fitted with the airline’s signature leather seats, while the Jazeera Plus (J+) cabin offers business travelers the highest standards of comfort, relaxation and a range of in-flight amenities. The airline flies to destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Iran, and the Indian Sub-continent.
Established in 2004, Jazeera Airways is the first private scheduled airline in the Middle East. The airline currently operates a fleet of eight new Airbus A32 aircraft from its two main hubs in Kuwait and Dubai on 55 routes, to 22 destinations, in 14 different countries. Destinations include Istanbul in Europe; Alexandria, Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut and Luxor in Egypt; Khartoum in Sudan; Beirut, Amman, Damascus and Deir Ez Zoor in the Levant; Bahrain, Doha, Riyadh, Sana’a, and Jeddah in the Gulf; Tehran and Mashdad in Iran; and Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi in India.
To date, the airline has flown 3 million passengers since commencing operations in October 2005.
Fares for a one-way ticket typically start at KD1 or 10 AED — subject to additional airport taxes and fees, and subject to availability. The cheapest tickets are always available online. Passengers can book their flights, select their preferred seat and pay online via the www.jazeeraairways.com website with additional options to purchase travel insurance, rent a car, or book a hotel with the airline’s preferred partners. Passengers can additionally book via the airline’s call center” +965 22248940, on 177 from Kuwait. Local call centre numbers for all destinations are listed on the website. Travel may also be booked through UAE-based travel agency DNATA on +971 3166666. Debit and credit cards can be used for purchasing flights through the website, call centres and travel agents via a secure server, while cash may be used to purchase tickets directly from the airline’s selected travel agent partners. - Arab Times |
| Posted on:
10/02/2009 |
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