The Jet Airways crisis is having a massive impact on passengers with all flights now being grounded. With three flights a day from Heathrow to India, this is going to have serious repercussions for a large amount of travelers, many of whom were regulars with this once highly acclaimed airline.
Passengers stranded
Planes were grounded and flights were cancelled, mostly without warning, due to unpaid fees, leaving thousands of passengers stranded worldwide, and many more left in limbo regarding their future travel plans. Initially the grounding was reported to be temporary and there were promises of rescheduled flights and refunds, but this now looks unlikely to happen as the crisis has not been resolved.
Where can Jet Airways go from here?
With debts of more than £900m the future of India’s largest and oldest private airline is uncertain. Unless a financial lifeline can be established, the airline could remain in collapse and efforts so far have been unproductive on that front. Jet Airways operates 600 internal routes across India, and 380 international routes, but Indian carriers must have a fleet of a minimum of 20 aircraft or they will not be allowed to fly international routes. This appears to be something that Jet Airways cannot currently maintain. The future doesn’t look bright.
Has Naresh Goyal lost a chance to save Jet Airways?
Founder and chairman of Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal refused to step down and relinquish control of the business which caused Etihad Airways to pull out of a deal that would have seen a large investment in the airline. Perhaps realizing his mistake, it has been reported that Goyal has now agreed to reduce his shareholding to under 10% if an investor can be found. But is it now too late? With no planes in the air, and no money to fuel and run them, this seems like a last act of desperation. Better a small shareholding than no business at all.
Some hope for passengers
For those passengers affected by the crisis, there may be some options available. Package trips may be ATOL protected, so a refund or alternative flight should be offered. If a flight was booked through another airline with Jet Airways as a code share partner, then contacting the airline should be the first port of call. Alternatively, for flights booked via a debit or credit card, passengers should be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. It’s also wise to contact travel insurance issuers to see if Scheduled Airline Failure is included in the policy.
Emily is an avid writer with a passion for the travel industry. She also loves learning and writing about nutrition and healthy living. Emily is based in the UK.
