Naresh Goyal (58), the founder Chairman of Jet Airways, India’s premier airline, has over 37 years of experience in the Civil Aviation industry. He is the recipient of several national and international awards.
Mr. Goyal served on the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), from 2004-2006. This is the first time that the Chairman of a private airline of India was elected to IATA’s prestigious Board of Governors.
After graduating in Commerce in 1967, Mr. Naresh Goyal joined the travel business with the GSA for Lebanese International Airlines. From 1967 to 1974 he underwent extensive training in all facets of the travel business through his association with several foreign airlines. He also extensively travelled overseas on business during this period.
With the experience, expertise and technical know-how thereby acquired, in May 1974, Mr. Naresh Goyal founded Jetair (Private) Limited with the objective of providing Sales and Marketing representation to foreign airlines in India. He was involved in developing studies of traffic patterns, route structures, operational economics and flight scheduling, all of which has made him an authority in the world of aviation and travel.
In 1991, as part of the ongoing diversification programme of his business activities, Mr. Naresh Goyal took advantage of the opening of the Indian economy and the enunciation of the Open Skies Policy by the Government of India to set up Jet Airways for the operation of scheduled air services on domestic sectors in India. Jet Airways commenced commercial operations on May 05, 1993.
In 14 years, Jet Airways has emerged as India's largest private domestic airline and has been acclaimed by frequent travellers as the most preferred carrier offering the highest quality of comfort, courtesy, standards of ground and inflight services and reliability of operations. Jet Airways currently operates a fleet of 81 aircraft, which includes 10 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, 8 Airbus A330-200 aircraft, 54 classic and next generation Boeing 737-400/700/800/900 aircraft and 9 modern ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. With an average fleet age of 4.3 years, the airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world. With over 380 daily flights, the Airline's network connects 59 destinations that span the length and breadth of India and beyond, including New York (both JFK and Newark) Toronto, Brussels, London (Heathrow), Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat and Doha. The airline plans to extend its international operations to other cities in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia in phases with the introduction of wide-body aircraft into its fleet.
Jet Airways has been voted India’s "Best Domestic Airline" by several organisations of world-class repute. The airline has also been conferred with several national and international awards instituted by leading organisations including the Market Development Award for 2001 of Air Transport World (ATW) of USA. Jet Airways has also won the 'Service Excellence Award' hosted by Global Managers at Mumbai.
Mr. Goyal in his capacity as Chairman, Jet Airways, has won the 'Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Services' from Ernst & Young and also 'Distinguished Alumni Award-2000 for meritorious and distinguished performance as an Entrepreneur' and also the 'most respected company in travel and hospitality sector'. Other awards conferred on Mr. Goyal include the 'Outstanding Asian-Indian' award for leadership and contribution to the global community given by the Indian American Centre for Political Awareness, 'Aerospace Laurels' for outstanding contribution in the field of Commercial Air Transport twice, in April 2000 and February 2004. The airline has also been given the 'Pride in Excellence' award from Boeing Company for maintaining the highest Technical Despatch Reliability for the second year in succession in April 2004. In August 2003, the airline was awarded the 'Superbrand' status by the world's leading authority on branding, the Superbrands Council.
In July, 2005, Business Week selected Chairman Naresh Goyal as one of the five leaders from India in their Asia Edition cover story "Stars of Asia - 25 Leaders at The Forefront of Change".
Chairman, Naresh Goyal received the first BML Munjal Award for Excellence in Learning & Development in the Private Sector category from the Honourable Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Praful Patel along with a citation at a special function at Hotel Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi on January 6, 2006.
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh presented the first NDTV Profit Business Award 2006 to Jet Airways, which was received by the Chairman Naresh Goyal at a glittering function at Taj Palace Hotel on July 28, 2006. The award, in the aviation category, is to salute the men and women who fuel India's journey to the forefront of the World Economy.
