Seated on those bar stools in the home bar sharing family time, my son asked me about India and if it would be possible to go there for holiday someday. Puzzled at how he came to such an idea, I decided to check on the computer history. That was when I realised that he’d been looking into an Indian airline called Jet Airways. On reading the article he’d been reading before popping the question, I was amazed at what I saw.

Jet Airways (India) began just seventeen years ago in 1993, and credit must be given for all they have accomplished in that time. The determination to achieve their goals is shown in their mission statement as well as the numerous awards they have won. To offer higher standards than other airlines as well as becoming the preferred airline of choice in their home country of India is clearly stated. Going further, they are wholly committed to providing the highest quality for reliable operations and service. In the area of air passenger service, Jet Airways is dedicated to offering a world class airline and being the top choice for domestic travel. From what we have seen, this airline seems to be on-target to meet their goals.

The official incorporation of Jet Airways was on April 1, 1992. In May of 1993, a year later, they officially began to operate as a commercial airline within India. The company started out by just leasing four Boeing 737-300 aircraft. When the air carrier laws changed a year later, the company was finally able to apply for status as a scheduled airline. The first international air passenger flight took place in March 2004 with Sri Lanka as its destination. With a fleet of both jet and turbo-prop aircraft, Jet Airways has fleet has grown to just a bit under 100 aircraft. JetLite Airlines was formed as a subsidiary of Jet Airways when the company purchased Air Sahara. Rather than expand Jetlite, Jet Konnect was created in May 2009. That decision was made because of the regulations that caused big delays in the transfer of aircraft from Jet Airways to Jetlite. It was just easier to create a new airline. The third quarter of 2010 was very good for the parent and JetLite companies. The combined operations enjoyed a market share of 26.9% of the domestic air passenger business in India. The criteria used to arrive at that figure was based on the number of passengers carried. That metric earned the company the distinction of being the domestic air passenger carrier market leader within India.

Jet Airways topped the charts in the month of May 2011 because they carried two million passengers during that month. What a historic moment for Jet Airways and the Aviation Industry of India. That announcement was given in early June 2011 as well as the news that the airline saw a 17% increase in domestic and international travel during the month of May.

Even though it hasn’t even been around for two full decades yet Jet Airways has been able to grow at a rapid pace thanks to aggressive marketing and innovative management. If you think about all of the major problems that Indian society faces, you have to give real credit to the Jet Airways founders for getting as far as they have gotten.