Two operating permits remain as Jet merges JetLite with itself

New Delhi: With JetLite’s merger into itself, Jet Airways seems to have achieved a significant portion of operational and compliance synergies which were rather tough as long as the two brands remained separate. What remains to be seen is the future of an airline which has one brand but two AOPs or Air Operators’ Permits. A Jet spokesperson said the AOPs are seen as assets and offer the company “flexibility”. What form will this flexibility take in future?[caption id=“attachment_2351690” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Under one brand. Reuters[/caption] Already, a customer books flights under a single brand and gets to fly the same aircraft configuration so there seems to be really no major change as far as customer interface is concerned. The Boeing 737-800 fleet of JetLite already has the standard configuration of 12 Business and 156 Economy seats. Jet Airways had announced its decision to exit the twin service model late last year and had reverted to the full service model, with all bells and whistles, by December. What does the merger mean for pilots of JetLite, who were earlier on a warpath as their induction into Jet Airways meant their losing seniority and perks? A spokesperson said since JetLite will continue to operate as a separate division, their seniority will not be touched. He also said the 760 employees of JetLite will remain part of the total group workforce of 1,400 employees. JetLite has been a sources of trouble ever since chairman Naresh Goyal decided to buy out the erstwhile Sahara Airlines in 2007. It has been consistently turning in losses, eating into the finances of the parent. The Board of Directors of Jet Airways and JetLite, the wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways, have approved the merger of JetLite with Jet Airways. This is subject to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and the receipt of all corporate, regulatory, governmental, judicial approvals and third party consents, a company statement said. Consequent to the merger, Jet Lite will become part of Jet Airways and operate as a separate division of Jet Airways. “Jet Airways has made demonstrable progress in the implementation of its three-year turnaround strategy with the objective of returning to profitability. The merger of Jet Lite into Jet Airways is a key step to strengthen Jet Airways’ operations and create a seamless organization, delivering exceptional service to its guests,” Goyal said. Recently, Jet Airways Group posted a significantly improved performance for the first quarter of FY16, achieving progress on all key fronts of the business with substantial growth in all major key performance indicators in a turbulent and competitive business environment, the statement added.