SpiceJet: The New Definition of Connectivity

India's favourite airline is adding new destinations to its global network

From the brink of closure to cementing its place as India's second-largest airline by market share, SpiceJet is today a globally celebrated case-study. Surviving, turning around, and now flying high in one of the most competitive skies in the world, the airline has achieved the impossible and is now eyeing aggressive growth and profitability.
Year 2019 has already marked the beginning of a new era with SpiceJet 2.0 taking India's most-preferred airline to new destinations and niche markets.
The year has been a watershed so far. Starting April 2019, SpiceJet has added 31 aircraft to its fleet and announced 106 new flights, including 73 flights connecting Mumbai, 16 flights connecting Delhi and eight flights connecting the two metros. The airline, which recently celebrated the acquisition of its 100th aircraft, plans to add another 50 to its fleet by the end of this fiscal. To support its growth plans, the airline has hired over a thousand highly-skilled professionals.
As SpiceJet gears up for its expansion in the months ahead, it is also charting a balanced growth path across both its domestic and international network. SpiceJet currently flies to 53 domestic and nine international destinations. It is the largest regional player in the country with 42 daily UDAN flights, operating to 12 destinations under the regional connectivity scheme and providing air connectivity to the remotest parts of India.
Eyeing the international skies with equal vigour, SpiceJet plans to roll out operations on multiple international medium-haul routes. As part of its international expansion strategy, SpiceJet has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for interlining and code-share arrangement with Emirates, one of the world's largest airlines. This means SpiceJet passengers will be able to travel effortlessly to popular destinations across America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East on a single ticket.
While the new partnership will immensely benefit passengers travelling on both airlines, it will significantly boost operating revenues. This will enable SpiceJet passengers from India to enjoy seamless connectivity leveraging Emirates' vast network across Europe, Africa, America and the Middle East. Those travelling to India by Emirates will be able to travel to 53 destinations across SpiceJet's domestic network.
Back in India, besides strengthening its domestic network across key metros, SpiceJet has been one of the pacesetters of the UDAN programme. Pursuing its grand vision of 'flying for all' and providing affordable air connectivity to every Indian, the airline has been vigorously adding new routes and launching new flights to the remotest corners of the country. It is flying to places such as Jharsuguda, Adampur and Kanpur, among many others. SpiceJet believes that the next phase of growth will come from non-metro, Tier II and Tier III cities.
However, the story does not end there. The airline has been the first to launch a flight under the International Air Connectivity Scheme (IACS). The Guwahati-Dhaka-Guwahati flight launched under this scheme marks another milestone in the airline's history.
Offering its customers a whole new experience in luxury and comfort, SpiceJet recently rolled out its all-new business class - SpiceBiz - on key domestic and international routes. Uniquely designed to enhance air travel while at the same time offering unmatched value and greater comfort, SpiceBiz comes with the key differentiator of an attractive pricing proposition.
With its proven operational capability, SpiceJet has been exploring ways to boost its ancillary businesses and revenues. Betting big on the tremendous potential of the logistics industry and extending its 'belly cargo' offering, SpiceJet, last year, launched its dedicated air cargo services on both domestic and international routes. Operational under the brand name of SpiceXpress, the initial phase offered air cargo operations for destinations such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Guwahati and Amritsar on the domestic network, and Hong Kong and Kabul on international routes.
On the operational front, SpiceJet has been consistently flying high in the Indian skies. The airline registered the highest load factor for 50 months in a row, a feat unparalleled in global aviation history. It also made SpiceJet the country's favourite airline.
No airline has expanded at this pace, increased capacity and launched new flights and stations as SpiceJet has in recent months.
As part of its international expansion strategy, SpiceJet has signed an MoU for interlining and code-share arrangement with Emirates, one of the world's largest airlines.
- Ajay Singh,
CMD, SpiceJet

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