JET AIR PARTNERS WITH THALYS INTERNATIONAL

Indian carrier, Jet Airways recently signed a partnership with the high-speed rail service Thalys International, to provide the first combined offer of rail and flight to its passengers. Under their first ever code share, Jet Airways will place its marketing code on the Thalys operated direct train service between the train station at Brussels Airport and Paris Nord. This new service is a result of the coordinated effort of Jet Airways, Brussels Airlines, Thalys International and Brussels International Airport. “Jet passengers will now be able to access Brussels airport from Paris in 107 minutes thanks to the new Thalys’ high speed train. We look forward to extending partnership with Thalys to more European cities in the near future,” informed Nikos Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways. “This is a major advancement in technology. Passengers travelling on Jet and Thalys will be registered automatically on both modes of transportation. The train ride will be considered as a flight in booking service. Once at the rail station, passengers will have their train ticket delivered on showing their e-booking. The procedure is very simple,” said Amey Almadi, General Manager (sales), Jet Airways. “Travelling to and from Brussels Airport, the international airport at the heart of our network is part of our optimisation strategy to go beyond the expectations of our international clientele. Moreover, through this partnership, Thalys is establishing itself as a key player and pioneer in the development of rail-air transport,” said Franck Gervais, CEO of Thalys International. For Brussels Airport, this direct connection with Paris, by Thalys, marks ease of access strategy. “This is a major step for our airport, which has a catchment area of 8.4 million inhabitants within 60 minutes’ drive and over 19.2 million inhabitants within 90 minutes’ drive. With the opening of a new rail link, we are likely to see a strengthening of Brussels positioning in Europe,” said Betty van de Nobelen, Passenger Marketing Manager, Brussels International Airport. Thalys has signed the partnership with two airlines, Jet Airways, and Belgian national carrier, Brussels Airlines. Gervais believes, “The agreement will offer travellers from Paris and its region with access to the six daily flights from Jet Airways to both the USA, India, and beyond to Asia as well as Brussels Airlines’ extensive African network (20 destinations in connections