Kingfisher Airlines.
www.flickr.com user teemus
Right now, it's hard to believe that two years ago, Kingfisher Airlines was India's second biggest domestic airline in terms of market share. Today, it's the smallest.
Earlier this year, in March, I questioned whether you should fly with Kingfisher airlines, given the airline's very poor financial situation and the risk of flight cancellations. Most people indicated that they wouldn't. Unfortunately, the situation hasn't improved. Flight cancellations have been unpredictable and ongoing, often as a result of strikes by staff who haven't been paid since April.
As noted in this news report, the Indian Director General of Civil Aviation has warned the Kingfisher Airlines that it needs to maintain its flight schedule. The warning comes after the airline canceled a record number of flights on Monday, due to staff agitation, leaving passengers stranded at airports all over India. It's a major problem as maintenance engineers are refusing to sign documents that deem the planes safe to operate.
Flights are yet to recommence. However, the airline hopes to raise enough funds to pay staff and start flights again by Monday. The Aviation ministry has asked it to submit a revival plan before doing so.
All this is having a huge impact on customer confidence. Kingfisher has still been able to attract passengers by offering cheap fares. The future looks bleak though. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk of flying with the airline and think it should be shut down. What are your thoughts?
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