General Management @ Knowledge Zone



Rise of a Phoenix: Kingfisher Airlines

- by Manasi Panigrahi *

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  • Borrowing from the Kingfisher beer tagline of "The King of Good Times" the theme of "Fly The Good Times" is given to KFA.

  • Kingfisher is planning to capture the Indian budget airline market with the twin engines of 'special flying experience' and 'value for money'. (Contests like `Kingfisher flying face of the month' are on cards).

  • The Kingfisher airhostesses will be selected through a nationwide contest.

  • The Kingfisher "Funliners" will have in-flight silent auctions for lifestyle products and sales of packaged food and beverages.

  • The Kingfisher brand of exuberant, youthful and fast-paced image is leveraged.(the brand recall).

  • Brand endorsement. Kingfisher Airline has roped in model Katrina Kaif to endorse the airline.

  • AIR Deccan has signed a non-poaching agreement with Kingfisher Airlines to ensure that the two airlines do not poach each other's pilots.

  • In another strategic move, the airline entered into a breakthrough agreement with Indian Airlines, making it the first 'public-private' partnership in the sector. This partnership under which Indian Airlines will provide all ground handling services at its exclusive terminals in Mumbai and Delhi will allow Kingfisher Airlines to efficiently manage investments and overhead costs. The partnership encompasses a host of areas like mutual assistance on account of cockpit commonality and over a period of time will expand to cover engineering and schedule coordination. It ensures that Indian Airlines makes incremental returns on its existing infrastructure.

Kingfisher may gain from Home Delivery of Tickets

KINGFISHER has begun its operations in style. Its 'mentors' are optimistic that soon they will steal a march over some of the established carries because they are following their own path and strategy without stepping on one's toes. Their product is new, they have faith in their customers".

According to analysts, Kingfisher entered into flying umbrella after carefully evaluating the market. Its start on May 9 on the Mumbai-Bangalore-Mumbai sector was sedate and serene. But by the time new month begins, it will be flying on new sectors.

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* Contributed by -
Manasi Panigrahi,
Pursuing MBA, Batch of 2006,
ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad.