Amit Amola
Though it's not the most common mode of transport, with the increasingly affordable prices and fancy features they offer, flying is close to becoming the most preferred way to travel. Here's a list of the Top 5 Airlines in India...
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India owned by Air India Limited (AIL), a Government of India enterprise. It is the third largest airline in India (after IndiGo and Jet Airways), and operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving various domestic and international airports. It is headquartered at the Indian Airlines House in New Delhi. Air India has two major domestic hubs at Indira Gandhi International Airport and Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, and secondary hubs at Chennai International Airport and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. The airline formerly operated a hub at Frankfurt Airport which was terminated on account of high costs. However, another international hub is being planned at the Dubai International Airport.
Air India was once the largest operator in the Indian subcontinent with a market share of over 60%. Indifferent financial performance and service, labor trouble pushed it to fourth place in India, behind low cost carriers like IndiGo, SpiceJet, and its full service rival Jet Airways. Between September 2007 and May 2011, Air India's domestic market share declined from 19.2% to 14%, primarily because of stiff competition from private Indian carriers. However, after financial restructuring and enforcement of strict rules and regulations, the airlines showed signs of turning around. In March 2013, the airlines posted its first positive EBITDA after almost 6 years. The airlines bolstered its financial and physical performance with a 44 per cent slash in its operating losses in 2013-14 and an almost 20 per cent growth in its operating revenue since the previous financial year. As of January 2014, Air India is the third largest carrier in India, after IndiGo and Jet Airways with a market share of just above 19%.
The airline was invited to be a part of the Star Alliance in 2007. Air India completed the merger with Indian Airlines and some part of the agreed upgrades in its service and membership systems by 2011. In August 2011, Air India's invitation to join Star Alliance was suspended as a result of its failure to meet the minimum standards for the membership. However, in October 2011, talks between the airline and Star Alliance resumed. On 13 December 2013, Star Alliance announced that Air India and the alliance have resumed the integration process and the airline became the 27th member of Star Alliance on 11 July 2014.
IndiGo is an Indian airline company headquartered at Gurgaon, India. It is a low cost carrier and the largest airline in India with a market share of 31.6% as of April 2014. IndiGo is one of the fastest growing low cost carriers in the world. With its fleet of 78 new Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline offers 500 daily flights connecting to 36 destinations.
Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai. It is the second largest airline in India, both, in terms of market share and passengers carried, after IndiGo. It operates over 3000 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Mumbai, with secondary hubs at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru. It has an international hub at Brussels Airport, Belgium.
SpiceJet is an Indian low-cost airline owned by the Sun Group of India. It is the fourth largest airline in India after IndiGo, Jet Airways and Air India. It has its registered office in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and a corporate office in Gurgaon, Haryana. It began service in May 2005, and by December 2013, it had a market share of 19.1% in the Indian domestic market.
GoAir is an Indian low-cost airline based in Mumbai. It commenced operations in November 2005. It is the aviation foray of the Wadia Group. As of January 2014, it is the fifth largest airline in India by market share. It operates domestic passenger services to 21 cities with over 100 daily flights and approximately 750 weekly flights. Its hubs are at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai and Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
Life is full of challenges. Wise people choose to meet them. Foolish people choose to run from them...
