Giorgio De Roni, CEO, GoAir speaks with T3 about 2013 and GoAir’s expectations from the new year
The financial year ended on 31 March, 2013 delivered a profit of more than Rs. 100 crores. In this financial year, we recorded the best ever result in the first quarter. Afterwards, the overall environment has been challenging with higher cost of fuel and a significant depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US currency. We have, however, recorded some reasonable results in December. In the first eight months of this financial year, Go Air has increased the number of departures by approximately 20 per cent, owing to the deployment of four new aircraft, and has recorded a 24 per cent increase in passengers carried, thereby increasing the seat occupancy.
In the next few months, GoAir will add three additional aircraft and will reach the threshold of 20 aircraft in July 2014. We might, therefore, expect a partial deployment of the additional capacity on international markets, although our focus will remain on domestic sectors. India is expected to become the third largest domestic market in the world by 2020 and GoAir wants to play a key role in this growth.
Since years, our growth has been stronger in metro-to-non-metro routes. Also, recently, the deployment of the new aircraft has allowed us to further grow in Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow and J&K. It is premature now to share plans for our international network. However, our growth in tier II will continue in 2014.
We are very proud to have been recently awarded by TAAI as the Most Agent Friendly Airline. Travel agents represent by far the key partners for us and we are committed to further strengthen the relationship with them.
