The airline industry does attract colourful figures like the media-shy Naresh Goyal. It would seem that the smell of gasoline encourages more emotions than economic decisions. Bleeding bottomlines, a confused operational model, a mixed fleet and an unforgiving environment. How can Goyal rescue a company in such turbulence?
It’s impossible to capture Naresh Goyal’s style of running his airline in a simple phrase. Rather, if there’s any one who loves dirty little business secrets, this czar of Indian aviation is right up there. We are not referring to his ownership of 18 lesser-known companies, or even how he manages the cash flow at the Isle of Man-based Tail Winds Limited (which owns a 79.99% stake in Jet). It’s his decision-making style that keeps people guessing which foot he will put forward next. If there is a CEO in India Inc. who can fire 2,000 employees and recall them in a day by politely blaming his management in public for keeping him in the dark, it is the very diplomatic Goyal (in October 2008). If there is a businessman who can dare to risk souring a two decade-long relationship with a supplier as powerful as Boeing by placing a $3 billion-worth order for 15 Airbus A330s only because Boeing couldn’t assure ‘immediate’ delivery of the aircraft he’d wanted, it is the impatient Goyal. ‘Gut-feel’ is the word that explains how he takes decisions at Jet. Till date, his intuition has led him down the right lane in a market where the honours are unevenly divided. But the common sight of heavy losses at Jet in recent quarters, and the revelation that the airline had been trying to save Rs.350 million by delaying service tax payments (in March this year) makes many believers doubt this fact.
But he isn’t new to having his back to the wall. A decade back, Goyal had come to face with a similar situation. An airline bleeding for four consecutive years (losses totalling Rs.5.25 billion between FY1999-2000 and FY2002-03) in an industry that had only bad news (losses of airlines in India during the period amounted to Rs.25.51 billion) made critics question the longevity of Jet. But Goyal brought his airline back into the black (Jet made profits of Rs.10.35 billion in the four years leading to FY2006-07). He did well by paying attention to cost-cutting and better utilisation of Jet’s fleet – between FY2002-03 & FY2006-07, Jet’s annual expenditure per aircraft dropped 41.13% to Rs.971.41 million and its load factor increased 39.21% to 71%.
The present situation is in part a reflection of what occurred ten years back. During the past four years, Jet’s losses have risen to Rs.11.14 billion (with an accumulated loss of Rs.17.3 billion) and the industry is struggling for life (losses of Rs.244.68 billion). The challenge for Goyal is clear – save the airline. Problem is – this time, the numbers read worse. That the company has reported negative earnings of Rs.10.62 billion in just the past four quarters (leading to Q3, FY2011-12) is only a quick summary of the trouble tale. Over the years, competition has intensified implying a division of the revenue pie, Jet’s market share has plummeted (from 48.7% in 2002 to 28.8% today), swinging moods in EU and US markets haven’t helped Jet’s international operations (which contributes to 55% of its topline; during Q3, FY2011-12), ATF prices have skyrocketed (by 235.5% in the past eight years), a weakening rupee has made aircraft-leasing, en route navigation costs and fuel more expensive and recent actions by the fuel supplying companies and the IT department have only made living tougher for Jet. What should Goyal do?
It’s impossible to capture Naresh Goyal’s style of running his airline in a simple phrase. Rather, if there’s any one who loves dirty little business secrets, this czar of Indian aviation is right up there. We are not referring to his ownership of 18 lesser-known companies, or even how he manages the cash flow at the Isle of Man-based Tail Winds Limited (which owns a 79.99% stake in Jet). It’s his decision-making style that keeps people guessing which foot he will put forward next. If there is a CEO in India Inc. who can fire 2,000 employees and recall them in a day by politely blaming his management in public for keeping him in the dark, it is the very diplomatic Goyal (in October 2008). If there is a businessman who can dare to risk souring a two decade-long relationship with a supplier as powerful as Boeing by placing a $3 billion-worth order for 15 Airbus A330s only because Boeing couldn’t assure ‘immediate’ delivery of the aircraft he’d wanted, it is the impatient Goyal. ‘Gut-feel’ is the word that explains how he takes decisions at Jet. Till date, his intuition has led him down the right lane in a market where the honours are unevenly divided. But the common sight of heavy losses at Jet in recent quarters, and the revelation that the airline had been trying to save Rs.350 million by delaying service tax payments (in March this year) makes many believers doubt this fact.
But he isn’t new to having his back to the wall. A decade back, Goyal had come to face with a similar situation. An airline bleeding for four consecutive years (losses totalling Rs.5.25 billion between FY1999-2000 and FY2002-03) in an industry that had only bad news (losses of airlines in India during the period amounted to Rs.25.51 billion) made critics question the longevity of Jet. But Goyal brought his airline back into the black (Jet made profits of Rs.10.35 billion in the four years leading to FY2006-07). He did well by paying attention to cost-cutting and better utilisation of Jet’s fleet – between FY2002-03 & FY2006-07, Jet’s annual expenditure per aircraft dropped 41.13% to Rs.971.41 million and its load factor increased 39.21% to 71%.
The present situation is in part a reflection of what occurred ten years back. During the past four years, Jet’s losses have risen to Rs.11.14 billion (with an accumulated loss of Rs.17.3 billion) and the industry is struggling for life (losses of Rs.244.68 billion). The challenge for Goyal is clear – save the airline. Problem is – this time, the numbers read worse. That the company has reported negative earnings of Rs.10.62 billion in just the past four quarters (leading to Q3, FY2011-12) is only a quick summary of the trouble tale. Over the years, competition has intensified implying a division of the revenue pie, Jet’s market share has plummeted (from 48.7% in 2002 to 28.8% today), swinging moods in EU and US markets haven’t helped Jet’s international operations (which contributes to 55% of its topline; during Q3, FY2011-12), ATF prices have skyrocketed (by 235.5% in the past eight years), a weakening rupee has made aircraft-leasing, en route navigation costs and fuel more expensive and recent actions by the fuel supplying companies and the IT department have only made living tougher for Jet. What should Goyal do?
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