Kingfisher Airways
Spring 2008
Frank's view 
'domestic air travel in India is now a natural option'
Vijay Mallya is India’s self proclaimed answer to Richard Branson. He even looks like Branson, with his little goatee beard.
Mallya is on a path to world domination. He is already a major player in the global alcohol business, controlling the United Breweries empire. He owns the Spyker Formula 1 team and has recently begun an attempt to own Indian cricket with his sponsorship of the Indian Premier League.
Unlike Branson, who typically grows his own businesses, Mallya is a serial Mergers & Acquisitions player, who has grown Kingfisher Airlines through his acquisition of Air Deccan, an Indian budget airline.
Kingfisher Airlines has an abundance of attentive pretty female staff, dressed in red and white, just like Virgin.
Prior to takeoff, a complementary set of headphones and a Kingfisher pen are distributed to all passengers, together with a bottle of lemon juice. Kingfisher offers a three course meal on every flight. I’ve never seen cabin crew work so hard on a flight, all with smiley faces.
Alcohol is banned on all domestic flights in India, an oddity when flying in a plane emblazoned with a beer logo. However, we were informed that Vijay, devout Hindu and, usefully, a member of the Indian Parliament, is hoping to have that particular piece of legislation revoked.
The Virgin pre-flight announcement warns that passengers may be refused alcohol. If Vijay gets his way, there won’t be much chance of that happening on Kingfisher!
The battle between Jet Airways and Kingfisher has rocketed Indian air travel into the 21st century.
http://flykingfisher.com
Mallya is on a path to world domination. He is already a major player in the global alcohol business, controlling the United Breweries empire. He owns the Spyker Formula 1 team and has recently begun an attempt to own Indian cricket with his sponsorship of the Indian Premier League.
Unlike Branson, who typically grows his own businesses, Mallya is a serial Mergers & Acquisitions player, who has grown Kingfisher Airlines through his acquisition of Air Deccan, an Indian budget airline.
Kingfisher Airlines has an abundance of attentive pretty female staff, dressed in red and white, just like Virgin.
Prior to takeoff, a complementary set of headphones and a Kingfisher pen are distributed to all passengers, together with a bottle of lemon juice. Kingfisher offers a three course meal on every flight. I’ve never seen cabin crew work so hard on a flight, all with smiley faces.
Alcohol is banned on all domestic flights in India, an oddity when flying in a plane emblazoned with a beer logo. However, we were informed that Vijay, devout Hindu and, usefully, a member of the Indian Parliament, is hoping to have that particular piece of legislation revoked.
The Virgin pre-flight announcement warns that passengers may be refused alcohol. If Vijay gets his way, there won’t be much chance of that happening on Kingfisher!
The battle between Jet Airways and Kingfisher has rocketed Indian air travel into the 21st century.
http://flykingfisher.com
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
