Finally, Chairman of Jet Airways Naresh Goyal and his wife Anita Goyal resigned from the board membership on March 25, 2019. After this, Jet Airways’s lenders took control of Jet’s board and management. Under the leadership of the State Bank of India, the banks’ lender group has agreed to put Rs 1,500 crore immediately to get 51 per cent stake in Jet. 11.4 million new shares will be issued for this. Jet Airways has to pay around Rs 8,000 crores to 26 banks. So far, more than 80 jet aircraft have been out of operation. However, after Goyal’s resignation, in BSE stock exchange, Jet’s shares rose by 12.69 per cent.
The condition of Air India is also deteriorating. Air Sahara, Kingfisher, East-West Airline, Skyline NEPC, Modilufta, etc. have been closed in the past. At the time of closure, Air Sahara had 17 per cent stake in the market. In such a case, the question arises that the situation in the aviation sector is not as good as it looks from outside.
Who will buy Jet
The loss of Jet Airways has increased to more than Rs 13 billion and it will have to pay a loan of Rs 63 billion by March 2021. However, its financial condition is not good for the past 11 years. So far, Jet’s shares have fallen 71 per cent. In this case, it is being said that it can be sold. According to an estimate, Mukesh Ambani or Tata Sons can buy Jet Airways. Naresh Goyal’s stake in Jet Airways is 51 per cent. In 2013, Goyal has already sold his 24 per cent stake to Etihad Airways. Tata Sons already owns two airlines, Vistara, and Air Asia. It has a 41 per cent stake in Vistara. Vistara is a joint venture of Tata and Singapore Airlines.
Reasons for failure
Jet is unable to pay salary to its employees due to mounting losses. Due to allegations of financial irregularities, the raid on the company’s Mumbai and Delhi offices by the Income Tax Department has also blemished its credentials. Jet Airways was spending more on other expenses except for the cost of fuel, compared to Indigo, so that by the end of 2015, Jet was earning 50 paise per kilometer on every seat compared to Indigo. In order to go ahead from Jet, Indigo lowered the ticket prices, but Jet did not, due to which it came into a loss, which it could not compensate later. Jet suffered the biggest loss in 2017 when fuel prices started to rise. Due to the already being in debt, its condition worsened even more.
The financial condition may further get worse
The group of lenders has taken over the management of Jet, but finding a buyer of Jet will not be easy for them. Most importantly, banks have no experience in the aviation sector. Etihad Airways, which has 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, has written in a letter to the consortium leader, State Bank of India that it is ready to invest Rs 150 per share in the jet, while the existing stock price of Jet is Rs 275. It can be said that the lenders can face many more such difficulties in the future.
Will the government bring a solution?
It is being said that due to political compulsions, the government wants to save the jet. The Modi government wants to give a message that the economy is in better condition in the country. The government doesn’t want to take any risk before the 2019 general elections.
For some years, the Modi government has been constantly praising its achievements about aviation connectivity in the country. The government has also been claiming that the common man wearing a sleeper can travel on aircraft. Construction of new airports and increased number of flight services have been shown by the Modi government as development activities. In such a situation, the drowning of a big and renowned company of the aviation sector like Jet Airways will raise serious questions on the policies of the Modi government.
Will the financial condition of Jet be improved?
To improve the performance of the jet, the performance at operation level needs to be improved and employees should be trained at all levels, because the pilot, cabin crew members, the staff of engineering section, ground handling staffs, etc. play important role in this regard. Intelligent use of planes, such as the route on which the passenger’s traffic is high, more than one aircraft can be used. By the way, there is a need to make more use of the planes, which consumes less fuel. Advertisement can be used to woo travellers. Reduction in passenger fare is also a good option. According to the festivals, travellers can be tempted through schemes. For this, the basic fare may be reduced. Lower fares can be compensated by increasing the frequency of flights. This goal can also be achieved by committed and quality service.
Conclusion
It can be said that the dazzling world of the aviation field looks brighter from the outside, but in reality, it is not. The loss of Jet Airways shows the same truth. It is clear from the investigation that the cost of airlines in the aviation sector is high, but revenue is less. Their financial condition further worsens in the round-the-clock competition. In such a case it can be said that there are still many difficulties in making air transport available for common man. The negative part of this area is that the region is not bright in terms of security and compensation provisions also.
By Satish Singh
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
