Thank you - Jet Airways

Thank you
Team Jet
The Jet Family
Remembers...
M
The success story of Jet Airways
stands testimony to the efforts and
commitment of all those who have
seen it from its early days to today,
when it turns 20. Some of them
shared their precious memories by
way of letters and images.
JENNIFER D’SILVA Executive Assistant to the Chairman
ay 5, 2013 will be a particularly proud day for me. After being a happy part of
the 10th Anniversary of our airline a decade ago, what had then seemed a distant dream,
will come true when we turn 20 on May 5 this year. I have seen and worked every single
day these past 20 years at close quarters after my earlier days at our GSA, JetAir. Never
to my knowledge has an airline emerged from a GSA company as we have. Birth pangs
and growing up years were exhausting, but it has been an incredibly rich experience to
witness the vision of our Chairman unfold. From being a domestic carrier, Jet Airways
now spans international routes, competing with and setting standards for the best in the
business. No one can predict what the future will hold and I certainly may not be around
for the celebration of the third decade of Jet Airways. But I will always hold my boss, our
Chairman, in awe and gratitude for his brilliant vision and trademark human touch. I wish
him fondly on this second decade and years ahead of continued, unbounded success.
The Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal with his executive assistant Ms Jennifer D’silva.
T
PREMILLA KANGA Executive
Assistant to the Chairman (London)
he long and winding memory lane
spanning over 23 years as a Jet Group
family member is dotted with several
significant and perhaps not-so-significant
events.
However, if I were to pick one it would
be the nerve-wracking, nail-biting, tensionpacked hours leading to Jet Airways
taking delivery of the first B737-300 aircraft
we had leased from Ansett Worldwide as
far back as April 1993. There was frenetic
activity preceding the arrival of the long
awaited star on the horizon for Jet Airways
and it is the 11th hour activity on April 15th
/16th, 1993, that is still quite vivid in
my mind.
Both Ansett’s lawyers and our
lawyers, after prolonged discussions
over several days, had hammered out
the details of the aircraft lease agreement
which included conditions which had to
be fulfilled by Jet prior to taking delivery
of the aircraft. With the clock ticking away
before the scheduled arrival of the aircraft,
Mr Goyal, Mrs Goyal and several of the
executives were in Maker Chambers
having ongoing discussions with lawyers
in India, aviation insurance/reinsurance
brokers located in UK and Europe, the
lessor in Australia and Mr Datta in the US
thus involving four different continents
and corresponding time zones. Due to
the urgency of the situation, both sets of
lawyers agreed to see the 9W reps well
past the closing hours of their respective
offices in Mumbai to sign off compliance
in respect of the legal requirements.
Thereafter, Ansett in Australia were waiting
for the aircraft insurance/reinsurance
certificates in the requisite format to
be vetted by them before they would
instruct their representative in Phoenix
to effect the delivery of the aircraft to
Mr Datta who was positioned there to
accept delivery. To mark the arrival of
the aircraft, invitations had already been
sent to the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour
and several other invitees to grace the
occasion at a reception being held at the
airport. The worry, foremost in our minds,
was that there would not be enough time
to postpone or reschedule any of the
celebrations planned in the event of a
delay in the aircraft arriving into Mumbai.
It was only after we received
confirmation that all requisite approvals
and documentation had been
satisfactorily completed and the aircraft
would depart Phoenix as planned did all
The Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal with
Ms Premilla Kanga.
of us leave Maker Chambers in the early
hours of April 16.
It was an extremely proud and very
emotional moment for us to see our first
aircraft in our distinctive colours circle
gracefully overhead before landing on
schedule at Mumbai airport. I can quite
honestly say that there was not a dry eye
among those in the Jet group who had the
good fortune to be present to mark this
milestone in the 20-year history of
Jet Airways.
Ms Sonu Kripalani with Mrs Anita Goyal.
T
SONU KRIPALANI Vice President–Sales (India)
Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal with his wife Mrs Anita Goyal.
Late Mr JRD Tata with Mr Sharad Pawar, Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal, his brother Mr
Surinder Goyal, wife Mrs Anita Goyal, his mother, and daughter Ms Namrata Goyal
on the day of the inaugural flight in 1993.
Board member Mr Ali Ghandour with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal in the early years.
wenty-seven years ago I was all drenched in
colour on a Holi day when I was introduced to our
Chairman Mr Goyal. He shook my hand hesitantly.
Little did I know that the handshake would outlast
two decades.
The word ‘amazing’ would not suffice to describe
my time with JetAir followed by Jet Airways. I proudly
say to all that I am the kid, the child of this company…
Where else would I have learnt so much about
interpersonal skills? Where else would I have been
exposed to the who’s who of our aviation industry? I
have met my trade partners who have walked hand in
hand with me to bring Jet right there at the top thanks
to their criticisms and compliments.
I have had the opportunity of working with some
of the most beautiful people in the world, the people
who are the backbone of Jet, the staff. Working with
them was a joy; I was sometimes a guide, sometimes
a parent, often a friend, being their support in their
critical moments. Parting from some of them when
they left the company were some of the most sorrowful
moments of my journey.
I have felt the trials and joys of opening new
stations such as Rajkot, Porbandar and Bhuj, which
we started with building a shed at the airport for our
guests. On 10th November, 1999, I basked in the glory
of witnessing the ceremony of our Chairman when he
received the first purchased Boeing in Seattle. That
day happened to be my birthday too and I remember
being extremely excited, fulfilled and proud to be able
to sit in the aircraft’s cockpit.
I would not have been groomed to understand
the business and its demands if it were not for Neeta
Goyal, my mentor. The thrill of meeting targets,
moments of failure and crossing hurdles after hurdles
shaped me to be the person I am today. Jet has
helped me evolve beyond my wildest dreams. This
girl who had no courage for public speaking can
now address so many audiences with passion and
enthusiasm that I am amazed at myself. I have met beautiful people, who, today, I count
among my closest friends, who are now for me my
family. What a journey! I can only describe it in three
words—my magnificent obsession…
W
CAPT. FLOYD GRACIOUS Chief Pilot B737 Fleet
hen Jet Airways was
launched, I remember standing in the
venue along with my batchmates and
colleagues when the Chairman and the
board of directors addressed the media.
We were the first batch of trainee pilots
who would fly the passengers of the
newly launched airline. At that time, we
displayed the freshness, the youth and the
professional ethos of the airline.
Twenty years later, age may have
wilted the freshness a wee bit, youthful
exuberance has surely matured into an
experienced wisdom, but I feel extremely
proud to acclaim that I still represent the
professional ethos of Jet Airways with as
much vigour and enthusiasm. Perhaps
more so now than then!
Seems just the other day Captain
Robin Williams, god bless his soul,
and Mr Ramakrishnan gave us tips on
how to save fuel and fly on time. I do
believe that those formative years of Jet
Airways were the foundation of what I call
the “Jet Airways Culture” that exists
even today.
I’m positive no one will disagree that
in 20 short years, the kind of lessons we
have learnt, and the knowledge that we
have gained, have thrust upon us
a wisdom that few airlines in the
world can boast of. We have not only
survived, we have prospered. In spite
of an environment that is plagued with
state interventions, unfair competition,
archaic laws, debilitating tax and duty
structures, and a customer base that had
never experienced flying en masse!
We faced competition with little level
playing field, went public, acquired an
airline, faced economic recession head
on, expanded our fleet, mitigated our risks,
dealt with strife—internal and external—and
yet we have come out with flying colours.
Surely we must be doing something right.
All of us are aware of the changing
dynamics—environmental,
internal, technological and operational—
and how Jet Airways successfully
negotiated its way through it all. With
dignity, with prudence and with elan!
We did it primarily because of an
intangible culture that seeped inside all
its employees at the very beginning. As
pilots, we understood the value of saving
fuel. We realised the importance of being
on time. We understood the concept of
discipline and gradually passed it on to all
new recruits.
I think the biggest contribution from
the management in establishing a Jet
Airways “culture” is that somehow it
made us employees feel it is our own
airline. It sounds clichéd, but like a family,
the management indulged the truancy
of its employees, catered to their whims
occasionally, humoured their demands,
made them feel proud of their roles and
responsibilities, provided them with a great
infrastructure and basically took care of its
employees like few airlines can.
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary
with verve and gusto, it may be an
obvious observation to state that “the
future starts today”. I am confident our
management will guide us through
the changing dynamics of the aviation
industry gently, humanely and inclusively.
I am equally confident, the “family” that
is Jet Airways will reciprocate the future
imperatives with innovation, enthusiasm
and creativity.
My 20-year stint with Jet Airways
has helped me develop my professional
values. These values will remain with me
long after I would have left the company.
I am extremely proud of them. Together
these three values—personal, social
and professional—define me as a
human being. And thus, as a toast to
celebrate our 20th anniversary, I offer
my sincerest and deepest gratitude to the
airline. I wish Jet Airways the very best in its
future growth.
Clockwise from left: Capt Manoj
Mahna with the Chairman; Mr Nalin
Gagrani, Mr Gaurang Shetty and
Mr Belson Coutinho at the 10th
anniversary celebrations; Mr Javed
Akhtar with the Chairman.
Mr and Mrs Goyal standing next to the first ATR 72-500.
Board members Mr Javed Akhtar, Mr Iftikar M Kadri and Mr Ali Ghandour with
Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal.
The Chairman with Mr Mahiyar Sadri, CEO JetAir and Mr Nikos
Kardassis, CEO Jet Airways at the 21st anniversary of JetAir.
General Manager, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Mr U Harish Shenoy (second from right) with crew at Mangalore airport in 1995.
Mr Oscar D’Mello with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal at the
10th anniversary celebrations.
Ms Lydia Nazareth, GM–UK and Ireland, being felicitated by Chairman
Mr Naresh Goyal at the 21st anniversary of JetAir.
A letter written by Mr Oscar D’Mello congratulating Jet Airways on its
20th anniversary.
Mr Neville Mehta with his colleagues from the Planning Department
with the first ATR 72-500.
I
M BABU Hyderabad CTO
joined Jet Airways as an office attendant
and today I feel proud to work as an assistant
officer in the sales department and handle
administrative work. I had the privilege of thanking our Chairman
in person when he came to Hyderabad on
February 8, 2011, for the Black Comedy show
organised by Ms Namrata Goyal. Thanks to her,
I will always cherish the opportunity the event
gave me to meet the Chairman.
It was indeed a wish come true that I had
the privilege of meeting him during the show. I
spoke to him about my issues and he was very
kind and showed the patience to listen and also
acted upon resolving those issues. After serving
the company for more than 19 years, I sincerely
thank the Chairman for granting me the promotion.
Now, when Jet Airways is celebrating the completion of two successful decades of
operations since its inception, I feel very proud to be associated with this organisation. I
thank each and every individual for their support, suggestions and proud moments given
to me during my tenure. Ms Maya Hariharan, Manager–Premiere Unit, Mumbai international airport and
Ms Rhea Murthy with a guest.
M Babu with his old colleagues at the
Hyderabad office.
The Chairman with Mr Karma Whiting who started as cabin crew and is
now Deputy GM-Operations.
Pankaj Tripathi with
the inaugural team
at Jodhpur (Staff on
deputation from JAI,
DEL, IXJ and CCU).
Mr Abhijit Angolkar—Airport Manager Hyderabad with his wife
and Ms Sonu Kripalani.
Mr C K Reddy, Assistant Manager, Security, Hyderabad with the Chairman on the
occasion of completing 10 years of service in the year 2003.
JetViva staff members with Ms Namrata Goyal at an event held in Delhi.
I
Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal with Ms Rachna Chopra
at the 10th anniversary celebrations.
Jet Airways Nagpur staff and crew members during the airline’s 5th anniversary.
RACHNA CHOPRA Head Service Audit
f we were to look up the meaning
of a mentor, a friend, a father figure and
a demanding boss, our Chairman Mr
Naresh Goyal’s picture would appear in
the dictionary. The warmth and humility
that we have imbibed in us comes from
our Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal and Mrs
Neeta Goyal.
I feel overjoyed to celebrate the
history and culture we have created for
these 20 years in our organisation.
Engineering department at their 10th anniversary celebrations.
I
A K SINGHA Security Officer, Guwahati
n 1998, there was a hijack incident that took place at Guwahati airport. I
was a senior security assistant then and we had only three departures from
Guwahati scheduled for that day—one for Delhi, one for Imphal and another
for Kolkata. The Imphal-bound flight was on ground and boarding was
going on.
As soon as the cabin crew of the flight closed the doors of the aircraft at
11:30 am, two passengers with arms got up from their seats and rushed to the
cockpit. They demanded that the captain take the flight to the neighbouring
country, Bangladesh. He was asked to connect with the ATC. A hue and cry
followed at the airport and members of the Aerodrome Committee headed by
the Deputy Commissioner rushed to the airport and started negotiations with
the hijackers.
The aircraft was parked in the Air Force bay which happens to be on the
opposite side of the Guwahati airport. I was briefed to act as a middleman to
pass the information on both sides using my walkie-talkie. After a while, the
hijacker asked us to align the front step ladder and released some passengers
from the aircraft. Half an hour later, it was declared that the negotiation
had been successful. The aircraft came back to the original bay and all the
passengers with both hijackers were deplaned. We later found out that it was a
mock exercise carried out by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Both
the hijackers were none other than Mr O P Yadav and Mr D P Dahiya, Asst
Commissioners from BCAS headquarters, New Delhi. They were conducting
this drill to examine the security arrangements at this hyper-sensitive airport.
Mr A K Singha (second from left) with his colleagues.
I
KOCHUKRISHNAN MENON Senior General Manager,
Operations and Planning
joined the organisation on January 7, 1993 and initially all of
us (Engineering and Flight Operations) were working from two rooms
at The Leela. Three months later, we shifted to the first floor of Hotel
Transit from where we despatched our first flight on May 5, 1993.
Initially, Mr Charlie D’Souza and I were the only despatchers who
were approved by the DGCA and both of us, in addition to handling
other administrative jobs such as HR/LIC and training, were also
involved in despatching flights. For the initial period of five months we
were working continuously without any offs. Left: Mr Syed
Ahmed Jaleel, Key
Accounts Manager,
Sales, Aurangabad,
receiving the Best
Services Award from
Chairman Mr Naresh
Goyal.
Right: Cake-cutting
ceremony at Brussels.
Seen here are Ms
Celine Hertsens–
Human Resourses,
Mrs Nadia Baiz–Inside
Sales Executive, Mr
Stefan Hollands–GM
BeNeLux, Mrs Sanna
Naqvi–Sales Manager
Leisure Sales and Mr
Emanuel Menu–VP
Continental Europe.
Mr Kochukrishnan Menon with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal at the
10th anniversary celebrations.
I
GERARD PEREIRA Guest Relations
Left: Mr Amitava
Bhattacharya,
CIM-in-charge,
MAA-engg line
maintenance
with his wife and
Chairman Mr
Naresh Goyal.
I
KANWALJIT S LUTHRA Sales Manager, Delhi
have been a part of the Jet family since January 1985 when
I joined JetAir as a sales executive. I also had the opportunity
to head the Royal Jordanian Unit of JetAir GSA and was Area
Manager, JetAir heading the GSA for Biman Bangladesh Airlinks
before joining Jet Airways as a Sales Manager in October 2007. My
25 years with the group have been most satisfying and I have had
many unforgettable moments. The most memorable was when I
was taking care of Mr Goyal’s wedding arrangements at Taj Palace
Hotel in New Delhi. I was fortunate to be one of the few chosen to stay at Taj Palace
Hotel to ensure
that the guests at
the celebrations
have a
comfortable stay.
The best part was
to have received
a personal
letter from Mr
Goyal thanking
me for the
arrangements.
t was on January 27, 1993, when I was
appointed as Reservations and Ticketing Assistant
in this prestigious organisation. With just a few
computers in the reservations unit for four months, we
trained each other to take calls and make bookings
in Hotel Ras International in Andheri East. I recall the
morning of May 5, 1993, after I did a night shift and
left for home but stayed awake to hear the good news
of our first flight that had landed at Coimbatore. I was
proud then and am even more so now. I was later
transferred to the department of Central Space Control
(now known as Revenue Management) and remember
Mrs Anita Goyal always calling in the early hours to
know the loads for the Delhi flights the next day.
The keen interest and dedication shown towards
this airline over the years by Mr and Mrs Goyal has
brought it to where it stands today. It is because of
their vision that Jet Airways became the best domestic
and world-class airline. I remember him saying he
desired that every five minutes there should be either
a landing or a take-off anywhere in the world and it
should be a Jet Airways aircraft.
It was indeed a privilege to receive my 10-year
certificate and gold coin from Mr Naresh Goyal himself.
Mr Goyal, I am glad to be a part of this amazing
organisation and would like to wish you and Mrs
Goyal the very best in your future endeavours and see
emerald turn to silver and then to gold.
Mr Kanwaljit S Luthra (in turban) with Mr Goyal at one of JetAir’s annual parties.
Mr Ashok Gopinath, Senior General Manager, Engineering Quality, with his colleagues during
the induction of the first ATR 72-300 in October 1999.
From left to right: Ms Aakruti Bagwe with Mr Ram Redkar, Chairman
Mr Naresh Goyal and Ms Minal Naik at the Diwali celebrations in 2010.
Ms Sneha S Parekh receiving the ‘Seamless
Customer Service Award for Revenue Management’
from ex-CEO Mr Wolfgang Prock-Schauer for
2005-2006.
O
Mr Ashutosh Shukla (third from left), Airport Manager, Brussels, with his colleagues at Vadodara Airport
on the 5-year anniversary of Jet Airways.
F
DEEPIKA POOJARY Head, Guest Relations
VANDANA Duty Officer–Ticketing, Hyderabad
n the occasion of our 20th anniversary, I continue
to be a proud employee and thank our Chairman Mr Naresh
Goyal, under whose dynamic leadership we have reached this
milestone. Our anniversary is a milestone achievement for Jet
Airways—an Indian operator that has survived and, in fact,
emerged a winner in the tumultuous aviation industry.
Guest Relations, the department as it is known now, has been
re-christened a number of times... I don’t think there is any other
department in this organisation that has had so many nomenclature
changes. We continue to be known as those who handle
complaints, which is, by itself, a generic coding of work order
discipline and one that we are proud to identify ourselves with.
Being in this department for such a long tenure, I have seen
both high and low moments, good and bad times but the spirit
of positive alignment and a buoyant approach prevailed and was
kept very much alive, considering the nature of our work.
On this occasion, I would like to thank all my past bosses
who have played a prominent role in my development as an
employee and as a person—Swarna Kaji, Nandini Verma,
Shaiqua Vyas, Ernest Collette, Premilla Kanga, Vijay Sethi,
Shivani Karki, Jehangir Mehta, Jayaraj Shanmugam, Narendra
Mansukani, Mark Turner and Tejinder Singh. This list would
be incomplete without making a special reference to Derek
Coutinho and Mr Saroj Datta.
Derek mentored me for more than
a decade and has helped me grow
and reach the position that I am in
now. Mr Datta’s superlative drafting
helped fine-tune my writing skills.
Jet Airways is and will continue
to be the leader that pioneered
a revolutionary phase in the
aviation industry.
irst and foremost, I would like to convey my
heartiest congratulations to our Chairman Mr Naresh
Goyal and every member of the Jet Airways family on a
very happy 20th anniversary.
I am privileged to be associated with the airline
that has given passengers the ‘Joy of Flying’. Even
during tough times, Mr Naresh Goyal stood by us
and gave us the confidence to work and overcome
the crisis. I would like to share a few happy moments
while I was handling foreign delegates accompanying
former President of the United States of America—Mr
Bill Clinton. When Air Force One touched base at the
Begumpet airport, the entire vicinity was covered with
clouds of sand and we just stood there with our eyes
open to see such a huge aircraft landing. It was a
moment of pride for us to handle special charter for
them. I was able to be a part of such a memorable
experience only thanks to Jet Airways.
A quality that I most appreciate and cherish about
Jet Airways is guest loyalty. And this has been possible
purely because of the Chairman’s dream of giving
world-class service to flyers.
Ms Deepika Poojary (third from left in front row) with her team in 2010.
I
Coimbatore staff at the 10th anniversary celebrations held in Mumbai on
May 5, 2003. Seen here are Mr Christopher Raj, Ms Jyothi Mahesh and Mr
Lakshmikanth with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal and Mrs Anita Goyal.
ANITA REDDY Customer Service Manager, Internal Sales
would like to wish Mr and Mrs Goyal as well as the
entire Jet Airways family a very happy 20th anniversary.
I have been with 9W since August 13, 1996, when I was
appointed as a customer service agent. This job landed
in my lap when I was in desperate need to secure myself.
Over the years, 9W stood by me like a mother and took
care of my needs.
I consider myself very lucky because my family had
the opportunity of meeting Mr Goyal when he was at
Hyderabad for the Black Comedy show. On February 12,
2011, after another Black Comedy show, I had the honour
of sitting next to Mr Goyal and having dinner.
Mr and Mrs Goyal will always hold a special place in
my heart because they have set an excellent example of
success. Starting on a humble note, they have taken the
airline to international standards and sustained the best
private airline position for over a decade. In spite of all this,
both Mr and Mrs Goyal are very approachable, comforting
and caring. Every day I remember both of them in my
prayers and wish for their well being. May God almighty
bless them with the best of health, peace of mind,
prosperity and success.
Ms Kavita Das, Senior Flight Operations Assistant, LGBI Airport, Guwahati,
has completed five years with Jet Airways. She writes, “It is only [at Jet
Airways] that I could realise my actual potential and learn ways to jettison
my drawbacks and inhibitions.” T
HUSSEIN S. JARIWALA Base Manager, Cabin Crew
Department, Chennai
he founding of our airline was a milestone in civil
aviation in India. Completing over 18 years was a moment
of pride for me. Joining as cabin crew and continuing in
the present responsibility as Base Manager, Cabin Crew
Department, all carry fond and special memories. Over the
years, I had the opportunity to be part of the service department,
Mumbai base team, coordinate the Bahrain wet-lease
operations and to work with some of the finest professionals.
My wishes and prayers for a continual fruitful relationship.
From left to right: Capt Hassan Al-Mousawi, Sr Vice President Flight Operations,
Mr John Guselli, Director JCG Aviation Services, Ms Savina Rodrigues, Executive
Secretary, Ms Flavy D’souza, Executive Assistant, Mr Lindsay Naylor, Councilor
JCG Aviation Services and Capt Ranbir Singh, Vice President Flight Safety at the
Safety Seminar hosted by Jet Airways from April 16 to 18, 2008.
Left: Mr Naresh Goyal with
his brother Mr Surinder
Goyal and Mr Ajay Kumar
Pandey from the Finance
Department, Delhi.
Jet Airways’ loaders at a colleague’s birthday party in Aurangabad.
Cabin crew inside a Jet Airways’ aircraft in the year 1997.
The agency awards at Indore (where the theme was ‘Back to
School’). Seen here are Ms Sonu Kripalani, Mr Tariq Abbasi,
Ms Anagha Davare and Ms Jasmine Jagus.
The very first batch of Jet Airways’ cabin crew.
Ms Ashish Majra (second from left) and a colleague handing
a boarding pass to a passenger during the inaugural flight
from Ahmedabad to London.
Mr Nischal Bhasin on the 5th anniversary of Jet Airways at the
Amarchand Mansion office in Mumbai.
W
Ms Meera Gautama (standing next to Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal) with Ms Rinku Shah
of cabin crew training along with in-flight team members.
NISCHAL BHASIN General Manager–
Sales, Delhi & NCR
e were all very excited as it was one of the
first important milestones among the many we
have had since our inception. I was the Assistant
Manager, Sales, based at Amarchand Mansion,
Mumbai, reporting to Sonu [Kripalani]. We had made
an aircraft side-view with windows on the main show
window of the office. We all celebrated by wearing
‘High 5’ T-shirts and yellow gloves with ‘High 5’
written on them. We divided ourselves into teams and went to
our top Travel Agents and Corporates to do a blitz
with Jet Airways banners, pom-poms and a music
system, playing songs. In the evening, we hired five
tongas, decorated the same in our corporate colours
and took out a procession from Amarchand Mansion
to Nariman Point and back. There was a lot of noise,
lot of music and lot of fun. Fifth anniversary ‘High 5’ celebrations.
Mr Naveet Naseer with his colleagues inside the aircraft that operated on May 5, 1998,
the 5th anniversary of Jet Airways at Kochi.
Mr Dato K Jeyakanthan, Sr Vice President, Aircraft Projects & Product (Technical), with
Mrs Anita Goyal and actress Sridevi at an event.
T
KALPANA VENKATESH
Assistant Manager, Mumbai
wenty years ago, I was a young
woman, fresh out of college. I showed
up at the airport counter of Jet Airways
ready to start my first day at a real job.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked
my way up from a customer service
assistant to an assistant manager.
I’ve seen that even through tough
times my airline never wavered,
good times or bad we matched the
competitive pricing, flew on time,
aircraft were maintained, and the
customer service standard remained
best-in-class. All thanks to a leader who
persisted through the losses, and yet
never missed a single month’s salary in
20 years. He has been generous with
the bonus too.
A lot has changed in two decades.
Twenty years back, we had just a few
leased aircraft, today we have a large
fleet of over 100 aircraft. I’ve watched
my company go public, share prices
grew slowly but steadily, and eventually,
we were made stakeholders too.
I’ve still kept every letter Jet Airways
sent me right from my job offer to my
last increment. When I started at Jet we
were all a young inexperienced bunch
of college graduates. Quite a few of this
bunch are still with Jet, with job titles
ranging from Assistant Manager
to Director.
One of the proudest moments of
my life was receiving the ‘Seamless
Customer Care Award’ from the then
CEO Mr Wolfgang Prock-Schauer. In
the last twenty years there have been
a host of other domestic as well as
international awards the airline has
won, but the greatest award has been
from the passengers themselves.
And I can gladly say that the good
times have far outnumbered the bad
ones. May God bless this airline, the
management, the employees and its
passengers with an eternity of good
fortune and fair winds.
Mr Naresh Goyal with children
Namrata and Nivaan Goyal.
I
SHAKIR KANTAWALA Regional Manager—Sales &
Marketing Gulf, Middle East & N.Africa
have been with Jet Airways since June 1995 and have
retained many copies of our in-flight magazine. In 2008, I
selected the covers of some of the ‘milestone’ JetWings and
now proudly display them on the wall of my office
in Dubai. These specific issues (from amongst the many more that I
have), cover major events of the formative years of our airline,
and its international expansion, for example, the very first
issue, 5th anniversary, 10th anniversary, 15th anniversary, FFP
upgrades, uniform changes, etc.
I
RADHIKA SHEKHARAN Revenue Accounts
was one among the few people who were sent on
deputation to Jet Airways (Revenue Accounts) in 1993
from JetAir.
I still remember the important day—May 5, 1993—when
our first flight took off and all of us were excited. The accounts
department was not fully set up and there were a few people
who were assigned different tasks available at that time.
With the support and guidance from my seniors and my
colleagues from various departments along with technology
changes, we managed to formulate a smooth operations
process. During this period, I moved to different offices, from
Ras Hotel, SM Annexe, Litolier and now Kaledonia. There
were a lot of ups and downs faced in this journey along with
balancing work and family, which I have tried my best to
overcome with the grace of God and support from my family
and seniors. I also remember the time we had worked behind
the shutters during the 1993 riots, sitting in the basement
at Ras on boxes and working. The annual party, pujas and
picnics are memorable and will always be cherished.
I have learnt a lot from this organisation and would like
to convey a special thanks to Mr Ananth Iyer, Ms Shobha
Randeria and Mr V Janakiraman who have been very helpful
and encouraging.
This tenure with Jet Airways has been undoubtedly the
most brilliant experience of my life which I would always
remember. Finally, heartiest wishes to our Chairman, Mr
Naresh Goyal and Mrs Anita Goyal for this outstanding and
well-deserved achievement.
Ms Shobha with CEO Mr Nikos Kardassis, on the 5th anniversary
of Jet Airways in May 1998.
I
RUCHIKA SINGH General Manager Sales, East India
joined Jet Airways on September 1, 1995, unaware
of the fact that the next decade and a half (still counting)
would be a life-changing experience as I grew along with
the most promising airline in India, which would, with time,
become a global brand. I would like to share some of the
experiences which influenced me and shaped my life.
Long before I met our Chairman, I got the opportunity to
meet one of the most important influences in my life—Mrs
Goyal. It was at a team meeting where my suggestions
were rudely discarded by a colleague. I was filled with
embarrassment until I heard a soft but firm voice say “allow
her to speak“. Mrs Goyal has always encouraged me to
speak, has defended me at meetings by explaining the
challenges faced in my part of the country.
As the years went by, I had the good fortune of meeting
our Chairman on a few occasions. I remember a day when
he had visited our office on Park Street and it had poured
so much that we had trouble escorting him to the airport
because his Mercedes broke down but he maintained his
calm throughout the mayhem.
My team members and their families have immense
respect for him. On behalf of all of us in East India, I would
like to convey many congratulations to Mr and Mrs Goyal.
We all hope to be a part of this glorious organisation for
many more years, taking it to even greater heights.
Jet Airways’ employees from Ahmedabad at the Black Comedy show in
Ahmedabad, held in 2011.
On the occasion of Jet Airways' 20th anniversary, with compliments from Spenta Multimedia