After expansion of its international network, private carrier Jet Airways has started looking for a second operational hub in Europe as part of the next phase of its worldwide growth plan.
“Our existing hub in Brussels is working very well. We have to strengthen it further. But we don’t want to put all the eggs in one basket,” Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said.
He said talks were on with governments and agencies concerned in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, “but nothing concrete has emerged so far”. The next European hub would be part of the airline’s global expansion plan, he added.
Currently, Jet Airways operates 20 international destinations, which will be increased to 22 by October-end.
Replying to questions on high jet fuel prices, Prock-Schauer said the individual airlines would themselves have to consider how much they should raise the fares to meet the heavy fuel cost burden. He, however, maintained that unless the fuel prices in India came down “significantly”, there could be no relief either to the industry or to the travelling public. Even if the jet fuel prices remain at the same level in the next few weeks, Jet could consider raising fare by 10 per cent, he said.
He said the airline would study the price of the aviation turbine fuel by early next month and only then take a decision in the matter. On the new operation in the Gulf region, where the private carrier flies to six cities, Prock-Schauer said, the airlines was not interested at the moment to provide intra-regional connectivity but would prefer to continue direct point-to-point services.
After launching direct flight yesterday to Dubai from Delhi and Mumbai, Jet Airways would commence operations to Saudi Arabia in October subject to regulatory clearances.
To a question on withdrawal of flights on some international routes, he said there has been some capacity-cut in sectors which were not making money.
