Jet Airways

June 18, 2012

Mumbai, June 18, 2012: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, as part of its social media engagement, recently conducted an exclusive event – 'Up, Close and Social'. 31 winners of the “My Most Enriching Experience with Jet Airways” contest from different cities were hosted in Mumbai at the airline’s aircraft maintenance facility (hangar), on June 16, 2012.

This one of a kind initiative by Jet Airways was conceived with the aim of engaging with the airline’s Facebook and twitter fans. It was an opportunity where fans experienced a unique transition from the virtual to the real world.

During the half day meet, fans were provided with rich insights and information on aircraft maintenance and operations through audio visual presentations by Jet Airways engineering experts. The event also presented an exclusive view of the fascinating world of aircraft maintenance with a tour of the engine, structure, wheel & brake and seat shop.

Apart from getting a chance to explore the aircraft interiors, engines, cargo hold and landing gear, each guest was given the opportunity to visit the cockpit of a stationary Boeing 737 aircraft and learn first-hand by its technology, instruments and various features.

Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, spent time interacting individually with fans and sharing his vision to create a larger family with the social media community being an important part. He shared his dream to create user led innovation and idea generation to help the airline enhance and innovate its product features.

According to Mr. Raghavan, "This is an extension of our social media strategy to ‘Listen, Engage and Respond’ wherein we now connect with our fans on an individual basis. The social media community is our extended family and we want to have a deeper engagement with our fans. We believe that our fans can contribute a lot and help us create innovative solutions with feedback and new ideas through such activities."

"We want to take our engagement to the next level with similar events and get to know our fans better and vice-versa in order to hopefully build a more vibrant and engaging social community. We are overwhelmed at the response and level of involvement from our fans, who not only took great interest in aircraft maintenance but also surprised us with their deep knowledge about our brand and aircraft operations."

Mr. Belson Coutinho, Vice President eCommerce   Innovations also welcomed fans and briefed them on the airline’s social media strategy and commitment to engage with fans on a one-on-one basis.

Special gifts from Jet Airways, Qua, IBM, Lindt, Orangina, Barista Lavazza, United Colors of Benetton, Rajdhani and B’lue were handed over to the guests. Refreshments were courtesy Rajdhani and Sky Gourmet. The guests also witnessed actual take offs and landings of various aircraft from the maintenance facility. On-the-spot quiz and contest winners were awarded prizes by senior officials from Jet Airways.

About Jet Airways: Jet Airways currently operates a fleet of 103 aircraft, which includes 10 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, 12 Airbus A330-200 aircraft, 61 next generation Boeing 737-700/800/900 aircraft and 20 modern ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. With an average fleet age of 6.11 years, the airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world. Flights to 76 destinations span the length and breadth of India and beyond, including Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bangkok, Brussels, Colombo, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Katmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, London(Heathrow), Milan, Muscat, New York (both JFK and Newark), Riyadh, Sharjah, Singapore and Toronto.

About JetKonnect: A consolidation of the erstwhile JetLite and Jet Airways Konnect brands, the new JetKonnect service is a dedicated product designed to meet the needs of the low fare segment. JetKonnect will also offer guests a Premiere service on certain select routes. With its mixed fleet of Boeings and ATR aircraft and 400 daily flights connecting 56 destinations across India, JetKonnect provides more flexibility and choice to its guests, making it India’s largest low fare brand. JetKonnect’s convenient schedules, reliable service and low fares promise to bring greater value and a seamless flying experience to our customers. Jet Airways and JetKonnect have a combined fleet strength of 121 aircraft, and operate over 620 flights daily.