Эпизоды
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Just as the Indian Parliament approved a bill to empower Cape Town convention and aircraft protocol, Alok Anand joined us to give an in-depth perspective of the Indian aircraft leasing market, how the entire process works, wet and dry leasing, as well as leasing done via GIFT City by Indian airlines so far and if it is any good?
Alok Anand - @AlokAnand77
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
I caught up with Rafat just a few days after the conclusion of a very successful Skift India Forum 2025. We engaged in a comprehensive conversation about the power of travel, the intricate relationship with aviation, the Indian market, and the potential benefits of a "connected trip." We also discussed in detail his thoughts on Air India and IndiGo, the potential of artificial intelligence in travel, and how airlines can work more closely with other players in the sector, including hotels, to up their game!
Rafat Ali - @rafat
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
Пропущенные эпизоды?
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Episode number 32 features Daniel Bircher, Chairman and MD at the Noida International Airport. Detailed discussion involving all aspects of the airport launching soon.
✈️Daniel’s background in aviation, how he got into the business.
✈️His time at BLR as the director of operations. How those learnings are helping him at DXN?
✈️When will DXN commence operations?
✈️Will cargo operations start earlier or passenger operations?
✈️Will DXN compete with DEL or complement DEL?
✈️Primary catchment area of the airport.
✈️How is DXN attracting traffic and airlines from DEL? Will it become Code F compliant?
✈️PaxEx features at the airport, contract, or airline led lounges?
✈️Domestic and international airline partners at the start.
✈️What’s DXN’s pitch to international airlines?
✈️Domestic/International traffic mix in the first 12 months.
✈️How will DXN support regional aviation?
✈️When will the flight to Zurich from DXN happen?
✈️MRO, Cargo, and General Aviation plans at DXN.
✈️Global trends in airport management.
✈️Split between aero/non-aero revenue.
✈️Retail, duty-free and F&B mix at the airport.
✈️The importance of Skytrax for airport operators.
✈️What challenges do airport operators in India face?
✈️What are the future expansion plans of the Noida International Airport?
✈️Will Zurich Airports look at other greenfield/brownfield airport development opportunities in India?
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
This show features the co-founder and host of The Great Indian Points & Miles Show, Aadil Bandukwala. We break down points and miles scene for Indian travelers, both new and well-versed.
✈️ Points & miles landscape in India
✈️ Advice to get started in points & miles
✈️ Top tips for international redemptions
✈️ Top credit card recommendations
✈️ How to overcome redemption challenges?
✈️ Emerging trends and opportunities for travelers
✈️ Breaking down Emirates’ Skywards subscription
✈️ Air India Maharaja Club and IndiGo BluChip
✈️ Future of miles and points redemptions in India
✈️ Airline-Credit Card partnerships
✈️ All-time favorite in-flight experience
✈️ Apps & tools in use to keep track of points & miles
Aadil Bandukwala - @aadil
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
The 30th episode of The Indian AvGeek features a veteran of the global aviation industry. With all the news around IndiGo’s expansion into Europe, we sat down with the ex-CCO of IndiGo, Willy Boulter.
- [ ] Willy’s start and background in the aviation industry
- [ ] His time at Etihad and Jet Airways, working experience with Naresh Goyal
- [ ] What made IndiGo such a massive success?
- [ ] How was it working with Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal?
- [ ] Rakesh Gangwal’s foresight about Jet Airways
- [ ] The IndiGo of now vs the IndiGo he retired from
- [ ] The idea to develop Tbilisi as a hub for Europe ops
- [ ] When did IndiGo first think of having a WB aircraft?
- [ ] Govt owned Air India vs. Tata owned Air India
- [ ] Anecdotes about AI’s lousy work culture
- [ ] IndiGo’s current fleet mix & if it betrays the classic LCA model
- [ ] Should IndiGo have a scissor hub in Europe?
- [ ] Possible IndiGo A350 destinations
- [ ] Will IndiGo ever consider Embraer regional jets instead of the ATR?
- [ ] Life post-retirement from IndiGo
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
This is the second part of our conversation with Mark Ross-Smith, the CEO of Loyalty Status Co - StatusMatch. In this episode, we go deeper into the business of airline loyalty and status matching.
* How does StatusMatch do its marketing?
* The importance of points/miles websites
* The power of authenticity in loyalty marketing
* Story behind the viral “Chocolate Airlines,” which went viral
* How an airline used numerology to understand pax
* Priorities for StatusMatch in the Indian market
* How can Indian FFPs differentiate themselves & monetize data?
* The evergreen struggle between loyalty and revenue management in airlines
* Understanding the lifetime value of passengers
* How is hotel loyalty different from an airline?
* What can hotels do to make their loyalty programs more attractive?
* Is awarding lifetime status a loss-making exercise for airlines?
* Future trends/innovations in airline loyalty programs
Mark - @drdoot
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
This episode features Mark Ross-Smith, the CEO of Loyalty Status Co - StatusMatch. We discussed the nitty-gritty of the airline loyalty and status matching industry.
* How did he get to lead Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich FFP?
* The story behind starting Status Match
* The status of Indian airline loyalty market
* How has loyalty and status matching evolved into a multi-billion dollar ancillary revenue industry for airlines?
* Global insights and trends in the industry that Indian carriers can adopt
* Size of Indian business, which airline is seeing maximum traction?
* How come StatusMatch hasn’t onboarded Air India Maharaja Club yet?
* Most successful airline partner?
* How can airlines increase their ancillary revenue?
* If a large number of flyers get status easily, what would that mean for the airline and industry?
Mark - @drdoot
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
The 27th episode of The Indian AvGeek features Evan from AnalyticFlying.com. We mainly focus on the upcoming wide body aircraft for Air India and IndiGo.
* How does the A321 XLR compare to Boeing’s offerings in the same market segment
* IndiGo’s wet lease induction of Norse 787-9s
* How will Air India use its upcoming A350-900s and A35Ks
* How is IndiGo expected to use its A359s, once they get delivered
* How does the Boeing Dreamliner compare to the Airbus A350
* Air India’s great fleet flex, giving them scale and ULH capabilities
* How and where Air India is expected to use its 777X’s
Evan - @analyticflying
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
This week on The Indian AvGeek, we turn our focus on the India-US market and its potential. Vinay Bhaskara joins us on the show to talk about that and also about artificial intelligence in the industry:
* How can artificial intelligence and aviation come together?
* AI & NDC. How can that lead to smarter, better reservation systems and GDS?
* How can artificial intelligence add value to airports?
* State of the India-US market
* Delving deep into DFW, from HYD and DEL
* New routes US airlines will launch into India
* Alaska’s plan for SEA-BLR
* Current network of US airlines into India and how that can potentially expand?
* Indian market challenges for US airlines, as well as advantages they have
* How will US3 compete against MEB3 for the Indian market?
* The future of India-US air travel market
Vinay Bhaskara- @theABVinay
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
It’s the quarter-century episode of the Indian AvGeek and do we have a striker or what? Evan from AnalyticFlying.com. We are diving into Airbus’s latest and greatest:
.Is the A321 XLR a misunderstood aircraft?
.Has aircraft marketing been taken too seriously?
.What makes the XLR different from other aircraft in the A320 family?
.IndiGo and the curious case of the Airbus A321 XLRWhat kind of hard product will IndiGo’s XLRs get?
.Why can’t DEL-LON happen on an A321 XLR?
.Why is Frankfurt a likely choice for IndiGo’s XLR ops?
.Which European & African stations can IndiGo possibly open with the XLR?
.How will Air India’s A321 XLR plans possibly differ from IndiGo’s?
Evan - @analyticflying
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
The second and final part of our 2025 industry forecast. We started our discussion straightaway with a banger: Which global airlines are waiting in the wings to launch routes to India? Once that was out of the way, we also discussed:
* Air India’s international expansion plans
* The US Big3’s plan for the Indian market
* Will Air India get A350Ks this year from Airbus? Or an IPO?
* Akasa’s strategy for the year ahead. Will that involve a premium play?
* Regional Airlines and the year ahead
* Should we expect new aircraft types to be ordered by Indian airlines in 2025?
* Airbus and Boeing’s plan for India in 2025
* Which new international routes should we expect this year?
* The year ahead for DEL, BOM, and BLR
Ajay Awtaney - @livefromalounge
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
This week Ajay Awtaney forecasts the year ahead for Indian aviation with me. We discussed IATA’s projections and the expected profitability for Indian airlines. Besides that:
* Biggest tech advancements coming up in 2025
* Most critical challenge for MoCA and DGCA this year
* How are airlines preparing to meet increased travel demand?
* IndiGo’s plans for 2025
* The developing complex fleet of IndiGo
* PaxEx discussion around A321 XLR
* Where can we expect IndiGo to dispatch its upcoming XLRs
And more.
Ajay Awtaney - @livefromalounge
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
Episode number 22 of The Indian AvGeek features Sidharth Grover, Director of Communications and Marketing at Star Alliance. We started the discussion with Sid’s background at SpiceJet and Vistara before he moved on to Star Alliance. We spoke about the future of airline alliances, how the alliances do marketing, co-ordinating with all 25 partner airlines, future initiatives, the importance of Indian market, the entry of LCAs & other intermodal partners in Star Alliance, and the emerging trends around the industry.
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
Episode number 21 of The Indian AvGeek features Devesh Agarwal (BLRAviation) chatting with me on the final part of the 2024 recap for Indian aviation. This week, we started with the leading airports of the country (DEL, BOM, BLR), moved to Boeing, and then Airbus as OEMs. We touched on regional aviation in the country and how 2024 was an important year for it before diving into SpiceJet and Air India.
Devesh Agarwal - @BLRAviation
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
Episode number 20 of The Indian AvGeek features Devesh Agarwal (BLRAviation) recapping important events of Indian aviation in 2024. We discussed important laws and directives brought in by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, before discussing IndiGo’s year in detail. We also discussed Akasa, its highlights and troubles, as well as the demise of Jet Airways and Go First. It is a loaded first part of the special two-part year ender.
Devesh Agarwal - @BLRAviation
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
This week’s show has Jagriti talking about her background in aviation journalism, stories that she is proud of covering, Air India’s latest additional 100 aircraft order, FDTL norms for Indian pilots, wet leasing rules revamp by DGCA, gender rights in Indian aviation circles, and much more.
Jagriti Chandra - @jagritichandra
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
Vasuki Prasad (Marketing Director, APAC for Embraer) is back for an encore, and we dive into many topics.
* How Embraer approached new markets
* Future innovations and products
* Impact of ESG guidelines on aircraft sales
* How marketing differs within different divisions at Embraer
* Technical marketing done by OEMs
* How top airline hubs should be judged, basis of revenue
* How passenger revenue diversity combats volatility
* Detailed discussion on IndiGo -
This week’s show features Vasuki Prasad, Embraer Commercial Aviation’s APAC Marketing Director. The first part of our chat discusses Vasuki’s time heading commercial at Vistara, his eventual move to Embraer, the aircraft sales pitch process, Embraer in India, their integrated marketing mix, the relevance of airshows in today’s world, and more.
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
Solomon Wheeler, the ex- head of marketing at Vistara and SpiceJet, joins us to give a peek inside the life of an airline CMO. He touches upon his time at SpiceJet, how closely he worked with the revenue team for sales campaigns, and various marketing campaigns under his tutelage at Vistara including the famed Retrojet and Fly Higher. We discussed Active Revenue Management, how closely marketing is involved, how far ahead they get to know about various route launches, and his thoughts on what made brand Vistara so special for so many flyers. All this & much more.
Solomon Wheeler - @solomonwheeler
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra -
As a historic week in the world of Indian aviation continues to rumble, the world’s foremost aviation marketing expert, Shashank Nigam, joins the show to talk about iconic brands of Indian aviation. We discussed the importance of airline marketing and how it differs from the usual marketing we all know.
How airline marketing evolved into health ratings during the pandemic, marketing’s importance for leading OEMs like Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, GE, and so forth. His unfiltered thoughts on Vistara’s brand dilution, Air India’s brand revamp, Indigo’s marketing, and how Indian airports are marketing themselves.
Shashank Nigam - @SimpliFlying
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra - Показать больше
