Alitalia SpA appointed Cramer Ball, head of Indian ally Jet Airways, as its chief executive officer. He succeeds Silvano Cassano, who stood down in September after less than a year in charge of Italy’s biggest airline.
Ball, appointed CEO of Jet in May 2014, will take over at Alitalia next March, the Rome-based company said Thursday. The two carriers are linked by their membership of the seven-strong Equity Alliance developed by Etihad Airways PJSC, which owns 49 percent of Alitalia and 24 percent of Jet.
Ball will take forward Cassano’s plan to reposition Alitalia as a more upscale operator, differentiating the company from discount rivals as it targets a return to profit by 2017. The revamp is crucial to Etihad’s efforts to tap European traffic via affiliates that also include Air Berlin Plc and Air Serbia.
“Cramer is the right person to continue leading the development and implementation of our industrial plan, which is now well in motion,” Alitalia chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said in a statement, adding that the 48-year-old was chosen after the company interviewed numerous candidates.
Seychelles Success
Ball, an Australian like Etihad CEO James Hogan, has had a 20-year career in aviation, Alitalia said. He has previously worked at Ansett Australia, Qantas Airways Ltd., Gulf Air of Bahrain and Etihad itself, before two years running Air Seychelles Ltd., in which Etihad has a 40 percent stake, where he oversaw a return to profit in 2012 and 2013.
At Alitalia, the strategy developed by Cassano involves dropping unprofitable short-haul routes in favor of intercontinental flights, upgrading technology and pampering customers with better food and seats, underpinned by the link to Etihad, which led a 1.76 billion-euro ($1.9 billion) rescue of the company.
Etihad’s plan for its alliance involves the sharing resources, joint loyalty programs and even joint aircraft purchases.
Cassano, a former Fiat SpA and Benetton Group SpA executive, who worked with Hogan at car-rental company Hertz in the 1990s, made a shock departure on Sept. 18, with Alitalia citing unspecified personal reasons. Chief Operations Officer Giancarlo Schisano and Chief Financial Officer Duncan Naysmith have been sharing day-to-day management duties since his exit.
Trained Accountant
Jet said earlier that Ball was leaving to pursue an opportunity in Europe “for family reasons.”
The Mumbai-based carrier, where the trained accountant formally took charge only in September after regulatory clearances, has posted profits in four of the last six quarters, helped by record-low fuel prices, after forecasting it would lose money until fiscal 2017. Jet named director Gaurang Shetty as acting-CEO.
Air Berlin, almost 30 percent owned by Etihad, has also undergone a series of management changes, most recently with Stefan Pichler brought in as the German carrier’s new CEO in February.
Bloomberg Business
Jet Airways joins forces with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will launch a codeshare agreement with India’s Jet Airways that brings convenient new travel options for customers flying from Europe and the United States via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to India and beyond.
Effective March 27, 2016, and subject to government approvals, Delta and KLM customers flying from Europe and the United States to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport will be able to connect onto Jet Airways’ new daily flights to New Delhi and Mumbai, with onward destinations that include Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Goa, Kolkata and Amritsar in India; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Delta and KLM codeshare on these Jet Airways routes will provide customers with coordinated customer service, a single ticket and through-check in of bags to their final destinations. Delta SkyMiles and KLM Flying Blue members will be eligible to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles on codeshare routes operated by Jet.
In addition, Jet Airways will place its code on flights between Amsterdam and 11 destinations in the United States and Canada operated by Delta and KLM. These include: New York-JFK, Newark, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Edmonton. Jet Airways will also codeshare on KLM-operated flights to 30 European destinations beyond Amsterdam including Madrid, Zurich and Milan. KLM’s service between Amsterdam and New Delhi also forms part of this agreement.
“Delta is committed to offering customers greater choice and a high standard of service. By partnering with Jet Airways, India’s preferred premier full service, international network airline, we will be able to meet demand for flights to India and beyond,” said Nat Pieper, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We have a track record of building successful partnerships with international carriers that broaden our global network and we are delighted to be opening up the Indian subcontinent to the many thousands of Delta customers wanting to fly to this region.”
Pieter Elbers, KLM president and CEO, said: “The co-operation with Jet Airways is another milestone in our unique global flight network from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This strategic step will deliver significant benefits to our business and provide KLM customers with exclusive travel opportunities. Plus we will strengthen our presence in the Indian domestic region and their neighbourhood.”
Cramer Ball, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways, said: “Jet Airways’ new services to Amsterdam and partnership with KLM and Delta demonstrates our continuous endeavour to provide greater choice and connectivity to our guests. With Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as our new European gateway, we will be able to provide our guests with one stop access to a wider array of destinations across Europe and North America together with our partners KLM and Delta. Jet Airways’ award winning service on board the state-of-the-art Airbus A330-300 aircraft from Mumbai and Delhi to Amsterdam offers a great proposition for our guests flying to Europe and North America.”
Delta and KLM offer up to 19 peak-day services to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport from 21 destinations in the United States and Canada. For further information and to book flights between the United States and India, customers may log onto delta.com or klm.com.
Delta Air Lines
Jet Airways orders 75x 737-MAX8
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, announced an order for 75 737 MAX 8 airplanes at the 2015 Dubai Airshow today.
The announcement marks the largest order in Jet Airways’ history and supports the airline’s replacement strategy to have the most modern and environmentally progressive airplane fleet. The order, previously attributed to an unidentified customer, includes conversions of 25 Next-Generation 737s to 737 MAX 8s, as well as options and purchase rights for an additional 50 aircraft.
“Incorporating the latest design and technology features, the highly efficient 737 MAX will allow us to drive our operational efficiency and reaffirms our commitment to providing a best-in-class full service travel experience to our guests,” said Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways. “This order is an endorsement of our confidence in the long-term prospects of the Indian aviation sector, which reflects the positive forecast for the country’s economy and offers tremendous potential for growth and development.”
“Boeing is proud that Jet Airways will be the first airline in India to take delivery of the 737 MAX,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. “The 737 MAX will bring new standards for fuel efficiency and economics, and a premium passenger experience to Jet Airways.”
The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.
The new single-aisle airplane will deliver 20 percent lower fuel use than the first Next-Generation 737s and the lowest operating costs in its class – 8 percent per seat less than its nearest competitor.
Boeing