Thank you - Jet Airways

Thank youTeam Jet

The Jet FamilyRemembers...The success story of Jet Airwaysstands testimony to the efforts andcommitment of all those who haveseen it from its early days to today,when it turns 20. Some of themshared their precious memories byway of letters and images.JENNIFER D’SILVA Executive Assistant to the ChairmanMay 5, 2013 will be a particularly proud day for me. After being a happy part ofthe 10th Anniversary of our airline a decade ago, what had then seemed a distant dream,will come true when we turn 20 on May 5 this year. I have seen and worked every singleday these past 20 years at close quarters after my earlier days at our GSA, JetAir. Neverto my knowledge has an airline emerged from a GSA company as we have. Birth pangsand growing up years were exhausting, but it has been an incredibly rich experience towitness the vision of our Chairman unfold. From being a domestic carrier, Jet Airwaysnow spans international routes, competing with and setting standards for the best in thebusiness. No one can predict what the future will hold and I certainly may not be aroundfor the celebration of the third decade of Jet Airways. But I will always hold my boss, ourChairman, in awe and gratitude for his brilliant vision and trademark human touch. I wishhim fondly on this second decade and years ahead of continued, unbounded success.The Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal with his executive assistant Ms Jennifer D’silva.PREMILLA KANGA ExecutiveAssistant to the Chairman (London)The long and winding memory lanespanning over 23 years as a Jet Groupfamily member is dotted with severalsignificant and perhaps not-so-significantevents.However, if I were to pick one it wouldbe the nerve-wracking, nail-biting, tensionpackedhours leading to Jet Airwaystaking delivery of the first B737-300 aircraftwe had leased from Ansett Worldwide asfar back as April 1993. There was freneticactivity preceding the arrival of the longawaited star on the horizon for Jet Airwaysand it is the 11th hour activity on April 15th/16th, 1993, that is still quite vivid inmy mind.Both Ansett’s lawyers and ourlawyers, after prolonged discussionsover several days, had hammered outthe details of the aircraft lease agreementwhich included conditions which had tobe fulfilled by Jet prior to taking deliveryof the aircraft. With the clock ticking awaybefore the scheduled arrival of the aircraft,Mr Goyal, Mrs Goyal and several of theexecutives were in Maker Chambershaving ongoing discussions with lawyersin India, aviation insurance/reinsurancebrokers located in UK and Europe, thelessor in Australia and Mr Datta in the USthus involving four different continentsand corresponding time zones. Due tothe urgency of the situation, both sets oflawyers agreed to see the 9W reps wellpast the closing hours of their respectiveoffices in Mumbai to sign off compliancein respect of the legal requirements.Thereafter, Ansett in Australia were waitingfor the aircraft insurance/reinsurancecertificates in the requisite format tobe vetted by them before they wouldinstruct their representative in Phoenixto effect the delivery of the aircraft toMr Datta who was positioned there toaccept delivery. To mark the arrival ofthe aircraft, invitations had already beensent to the Chief Guest, Guest of Honourand several other invitees to grace theoccasion at a reception being held at theairport. The worry, foremost in our minds,was that there would not be enough timeto postpone or reschedule any of thecelebrations planned in the event of adelay in the aircraft arriving into Mumbai.It was only after we receivedconfirmation that all requisite approvalsand documentation had beensatisfactorily completed and the aircraftwould depart Phoenix as planned did allThe Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal withMs Premilla Kanga.of us leave Maker Chambers in the earlyhours of April 16.It was an extremely proud and veryemotional moment for us to see our firstaircraft in our distinctive colours circlegracefully overhead before landing onschedule at Mumbai airport. I can quitehonestly say that there was not a dry eyeamong those in the Jet group who had thegood fortune to be present to mark thismilestone in the 20-year history ofJet Airways.

Ms Sonu Kripalani with Mrs Anita Goyal.SONU KRIPALANI Vice President–Sales (India)Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal with his wife Mrs Anita Goyal.Late Mr JRD Tata with Mr Sharad Pawar, Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal, his brother MrSurinder Goyal, wife Mrs Anita Goyal, his mother, and daughter Ms Namrata Goyalon the day of the inaugural flight in 1993.Board member Mr Ali Ghandour with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal in the early years.Twenty-seven years ago I was all drenched incolour on a Holi day when I was introduced to ourChairman Mr Goyal. He shook my hand hesitantly.Little did I know that the handshake would outlasttwo decades.The word ‘amazing’ would not suffice to describemy time with JetAir followed by Jet Airways. I proudlysay to all that I am the kid, the child of this company…Where else would I have learnt so much aboutinterpersonal skills? Where else would I have beenexposed to the who’s who of our aviation industry? Ihave met my trade partners who have walked hand inhand with me to bring Jet right there at the top thanksto their criticisms and compliments.I have had the opportunity of working with someof the most beautiful people in the world, the peoplewho are the backbone of Jet, the staff. Working withthem was a joy; I was sometimes a guide, sometimesa parent, often a friend, being their support in theircritical moments. Parting from some of them whenthey left the company were some of the most sorrowfulmoments of my journey.I have felt the trials and joys of opening newstations such as Rajkot, Porbandar and Bhuj, whichwe started with building a shed at the airport for ourguests. On 10th November, 1999, I basked in the gloryof witnessing the ceremony of our Chairman when hereceived the first purchased Boeing in Seattle. Thatday happened to be my birthday too and I rememberbeing extremely excited, fulfilled and proud to be ableto sit in the aircraft’s cockpit.I would not have been groomed to understandthe business and its demands if it were not for NeetaGoyal, my mentor. The thrill of meeting targets,moments of failure and crossing hurdles after hurdlesshaped me to be the person I am today. Jet hashelped me evolve beyond my wildest dreams. Thisgirl who had no courage for public speaking cannow address so many audiences with passion andenthusiasm that I am amazed at myself.I have met beautiful people, who, today, I countamong my closest friends, who are now for me myfamily. What a journey! I can only describe it in threewords—my magnificent obsession…

CAPT. FLOYD GRACIOUS Chief Pilot B737 FleetWhen Jet Airways waslaunched, I remember standing in thevenue along with my batchmates andcolleagues when the Chairman and theboard of directors addressed the media.We were the first batch of trainee pilotswho would fly the passengers of thenewly launched airline. At that time, wedisplayed the freshness, the youth and theprofessional ethos of the airline.Twenty years later, age may havewilted the freshness a wee bit, youthfulexuberance has surely matured into anexperienced wisdom, but I feel extremelyproud to acclaim that I still represent theprofessional ethos of Jet Airways with asmuch vigour and enthusiasm. Perhapsmore so now than then!Seems just the other day CaptainRobin Williams, god bless his soul,and Mr Ramakrishnan gave us tips onhow to save fuel and fly on time. I dobelieve that those formative years of JetAirways were the foundation of what I callthe “Jet Airways Culture” that existseven today.I’m positive no one will disagree thatin 20 short years, the kind of lessons wehave learnt, and the knowledge that wehave gained, have thrust upon usa wisdom that few airlines in theworld can boast of. We have not onlysurvived, we have prospered. In spiteof an environment that is plagued withstate interventions, unfair competition,archaic laws, debilitating tax and dutystructures, and a customer base that hadnever experienced flying en masse!We faced competition with little levelplaying field, went public, acquired anairline, faced economic recession headon, expanded our fleet, mitigated our risks,dealt with strife—internal and external—andyet we have come out with flying colours.Surely we must be doing something right.All of us are aware of the changingdynamics—environmental,internal, technological and operational—and how Jet Airways successfullynegotiated its way through it all. Withdignity, with prudence and with elan!We did it primarily because of anintangible culture that seeped inside allits employees at the very beginning. Aspilots, we understood the value of savingfuel. We realised the importance of beingon time. We understood the concept ofdiscipline and gradually passed it on to allnew recruits.I think the biggest contribution fromthe management in establishing a JetAirways “culture” is that somehow itmade us employees feel it is our ownairline. It sounds clichéd, but like a family,the management indulged the truancyof its employees, catered to their whimsoccasionally, humoured their demands,made them feel proud of their roles andresponsibilities, provided them with a greatinfrastructure and basically took care of itsemployees like few airlines can.As we celebrate our 20th anniversarywith verve and gusto, it may be anobvious observation to state that “thefuture starts today”. I am confident ourmanagement will guide us throughthe changing dynamics of the aviationindustry gently, humanely and inclusively.I am equally confident, the “family” thatis Jet Airways will reciprocate the futureimperatives with innovation, enthusiasmand creativity.My 20-year stint with Jet Airwayshas helped me develop my professionalvalues. These values will remain with melong after I would have left the company.I am extremely proud of them. Togetherthese three values—personal, socialand professional—define me as ahuman being. And thus, as a toast tocelebrate our 20th anniversary, I offermy sincerest and deepest gratitude to theairline. I wish Jet Airways the very best in itsfuture growth.Clockwise from left: Capt ManojMahna with the Chairman; Mr NalinGagrani, Mr Gaurang Shetty andMr Belson Coutinho at the 10thanniversary celebrations; Mr JavedAkhtar with the Chairman.

Mr and Mrs Goyal standing next to the first ATR 72-500.Board members Mr Javed Akhtar, Mr Iftikar M Kadri and Mr Ali Ghandour withChairman Mr Naresh Goyal.The Chairman with Mr Mahiyar Sadri, CEO JetAir and Mr NikosKardassis, CEO Jet Airways at the 21st anniversary of JetAir.General Manager, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Mr U Harish Shenoy (second from right) with crew at Mangalore airport in 1995.

Mr Oscar D’Mello with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal at the10th anniversary celebrations.Ms Lydia Nazareth, GM–UK and Ireland, being felicitated by ChairmanMr Naresh Goyal at the 21st anniversary of JetAir.A letter written by Mr Oscar D’Mello congratulating Jet Airways on its20th anniversary.Mr Neville Mehta with his colleagues from the Planning Departmentwith the first ATR 72-500.

IM BABU Hyderabad CTOjoined Jet Airways as an office attendantand today I feel proud to work as an assistantofficer in the sales department and handleadministrative work.I had the privilege of thanking our Chairmanin person when he came to Hyderabad onFebruary 8, 2011, for the Black Comedy showorganised by Ms Namrata Goyal. Thanks to her,I will always cherish the opportunity the eventgave me to meet the Chairman.It was indeed a wish come true that I hadthe privilege of meeting him during the show. Ispoke to him about my issues and he was verykind and showed the patience to listen and alsoacted upon resolving those issues. After servingthe company for more than 19 years, I sincerelythank the Chairman for granting me the promotion.Now, when Jet Airways is celebrating the completion of two successful decades ofoperations since its inception, I feel very proud to be associated with this organisation. Ithank each and every individual for their support, suggestions and proud moments givento me during my tenure.M Babu with his old colleagues at theHyderabad office.Ms Maya Hariharan, Manager–Premiere Unit, Mumbai international airport andMs Rhea Murthy with a guest.The Chairman with Mr Karma Whiting who started as cabin crew and isnow Deputy GM-Operations.Pankaj Tripathi withthe inaugural teamat Jodhpur (Staff ondeputation from JAI,DEL, IXJ and CCU).

Mr Abhijit Angolkar—Airport Manager Hyderabad with his wifeand Ms Sonu Kripalani.Mr C K Reddy, Assistant Manager, Security, Hyderabad with the Chairman on theoccasion of completing 10 years of service in the year 2003.JetViva staff members with Ms Namrata Goyal at an event held in Delhi.Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal with Ms Rachna Chopraat the 10th anniversary celebrations.Jet Airways Nagpur staff and crew members during the airline’s 5th anniversary.RACHNA CHOPRA Head Service AuditIf we were to look up the meaningof a mentor, a friend, a father figure anda demanding boss, our Chairman MrNaresh Goyal’s picture would appear inthe dictionary. The warmth and humilitythat we have imbibed in us comes fromour Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal and MrsNeeta Goyal.I feel overjoyed to celebrate thehistory and culture we have created forthese 20 years in our organisation.Engineering department at their 10th anniversary celebrations.

A K SINGHA Security Officer, GuwahatiMr A K Singha (second from left) with his colleagues.In 1998, there was a hijack incident that took place at Guwahati airport. Iwas a senior security assistant then and we had only three departures fromGuwahati scheduled for that day—one for Delhi, one for Imphal and anotherfor Kolkata. The Imphal-bound flight was on ground and boarding wasgoing on.As soon as the cabin crew of the flight closed the doors of the aircraft at11:30 am, two passengers with arms got up from their seats and rushed to thecockpit. They demanded that the captain take the flight to the neighbouringcountry, Bangladesh. He was asked to connect with the ATC. A hue and cryfollowed at the airport and members of the Aerodrome Committee headed bythe Deputy Commissioner rushed to the airport and started negotiations withthe hijackers.The aircraft was parked in the Air Force bay which happens to be on theopposite side of the Guwahati airport. I was briefed to act as a middleman topass the information on both sides using my walkie-talkie. After a while, thehijacker asked us to align the front step ladder and released some passengersfrom the aircraft. Half an hour later, it was declared that the negotiationhad been successful. The aircraft came back to the original bay and all thepassengers with both hijackers were deplaned. We later found out that it was amock exercise carried out by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Boththe hijackers were none other than Mr O P Yadav and Mr D P Dahiya, AsstCommissioners from BCAS headquarters, New Delhi. They were conductingthis drill to examine the security arrangements at this hyper-sensitive airport.KOCHUKRISHNAN MENON Senior General Manager,IOperations and Planningjoined the organisation on January 7, 1993 and initially all ofus (Engineering and Flight Operations) were working from two roomsat The Leela. Three months later, we shifted to the first floor of HotelTransit from where we despatched our first flight on May 5, 1993.Initially, Mr Charlie D’Souza and I were the only despatchers whowere approved by the DGCA and both of us, in addition to handlingother administrative jobs such as HR/LIC and training, were alsoinvolved in despatching flights. For the initial period of five months wewere working continuously without any offs.Mr Kochukrishnan Menon with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal at the10th anniversary celebrations.Left: Mr SyedAhmed Jaleel, KeyAccounts Manager,Sales, Aurangabad,receiving the BestServices Award fromChairman Mr NareshGoyal.Right: Cake-cuttingceremony at Brussels.Seen here are MsCeline Hertsens–Human Resourses,Mrs Nadia Baiz–InsideSales Executive, MrStefan Hollands–GMBeNeLux, Mrs SannaNaqvi–Sales ManagerLeisure Sales and MrEmanuel Menu–VPContinental Europe.

GERARD PEREIRA Guest RelationsLeft: Mr AmitavaBhattacharya,CIM-in-charge,MAA-engg linemaintenancewith his wife andChairman MrNaresh Goyal.IKANWALJIT S LUTHRA Sales Manager, Delhihave been a part of the Jet family since January 1985 whenI joined JetAir as a sales executive. I also had the opportunityto head the Royal Jordanian Unit of JetAir GSA and was AreaManager, JetAir heading the GSA for Biman Bangladesh Airlinksbefore joining Jet Airways as a Sales Manager in October 2007. My25 years with the group have been most satisfying and I have hadmany unforgettable moments. The most memorable was when Iwas taking care of Mr Goyal’s wedding arrangements at Taj PalaceHotel in New Delhi.I was fortunate to be one of the few chosen to stay at Taj PalaceHotel to ensurethat the guests atthe celebrationshave acomfortable stay.The best part wasto have receiveda personalletter from MrGoyal thankingme for thearrangements.It was on January 27, 1993, when I wasappointed as Reservations and Ticketing Assistantin this prestigious organisation. With just a fewcomputers in the reservations unit for four months, wetrained each other to take calls and make bookingsin Hotel Ras International in Andheri East. I recall themorning of May 5, 1993, after I did a night shift andleft for home but stayed awake to hear the good newsof our first flight that had landed at Coimbatore. I wasproud then and am even more so now. I was latertransferred to the department of Central Space Control(now known as Revenue Management) and rememberMrs Anita Goyal always calling in the early hours toknow the loads for the Delhi flights the next day.The keen interest and dedication shown towardsthis airline over the years by Mr and Mrs Goyal hasbrought it to where it stands today. It is because oftheir vision that Jet Airways became the best domesticand world-class airline. I remember him saying hedesired that every five minutes there should be eithera landing or a take-off anywhere in the world and itshould be a Jet Airways aircraft.It was indeed a privilege to receive my 10-yearcertificate and gold coin from Mr Naresh Goyal himself.Mr Goyal, I am glad to be a part of this amazingorganisation and would like to wish you and MrsGoyal the very best in your future endeavours and seeemerald turn to silver and then to gold.Mr Kanwaljit S Luthra (in turban) with Mr Goyal at one of JetAir’s annual parties.Mr Ashok Gopinath, Senior General Manager, Engineering Quality, with his colleagues duringthe induction of the first ATR 72-300 in October 1999.From left to right: Ms Aakruti Bagwe with Mr Ram Redkar, ChairmanMr Naresh Goyal and Ms Minal Naik at the Diwali celebrations in 2010.

Ms Sneha S Parekh receiving the ‘SeamlessCustomer Service Award for Revenue Management’from ex-CEO Mr Wolfgang Prock-Schauer for2005-2006.Mr Ashutosh Shukla (third from left), Airport Manager, Brussels, with his colleagues at Vadodara Airporton the 5-year anniversary of Jet Airways.DEEPIKA POOJARY Head, Guest RelationsOn the occasion of our 20th anniversary, I continueto be a proud employee and thank our Chairman Mr NareshGoyal, under whose dynamic leadership we have reached thismilestone. Our anniversary is a milestone achievement for JetAirways—an Indian operator that has survived and, in fact,emerged a winner in the tumultuous aviation industry.Guest Relations, the department as it is known now, has beenre-christened a number of times... I don’t think there is any otherdepartment in this organisation that has had so many nomenclaturechanges. We continue to be known as those who handlecomplaints, which is, by itself, a generic coding of work orderdiscipline and one that we are proud to identify ourselves with.Being in this department for such a long tenure, I have seenboth high and low moments, good and bad times but the spiritof positive alignment and a buoyant approach prevailed and waskept very much alive, considering the nature of our work.On this occasion, I would like to thank all my past bosseswho have played a prominent role in my development as anemployee and as a person—Swarna Kaji, Nandini Verma,Shaiqua Vyas, Ernest Collette, Premilla Kanga, Vijay Sethi,Shivani Karki, Jehangir Mehta, Jayaraj Shanmugam, NarendraMansukani, Mark Turner and Tejinder Singh. This list wouldbe incomplete without making a special reference to DerekCoutinho and Mr Saroj Datta.Derek mentored me for more thana decade and has helped me growand reach the position that I am innow. Mr Datta’s superlative draftinghelped fine-tune my writing skills.Jet Airways is and will continueto be the leader that pioneereda revolutionary phase in theaviation industry.VANDANA Duty Officer–Ticketing, HyderabadFirst and foremost, I would like to convey myheartiest congratulations to our Chairman Mr NareshGoyal and every member of the Jet Airways family on avery happy 20th anniversary.I am privileged to be associated with the airlinethat has given passengers the ‘Joy of Flying’. Evenduring tough times, Mr Naresh Goyal stood by usand gave us the confidence to work and overcomethe crisis. I would like to share a few happy momentswhile I was handling foreign delegates accompanyingformer President of the United States of America—MrBill Clinton. When Air Force One touched base at theBegumpet airport, the entire vicinity was covered withclouds of sand and we just stood there with our eyesopen to see such a huge aircraft landing. It was amoment of pride for us to handle special charter forthem. I was able to be a part of such a memorableexperience only thanks to Jet Airways.A quality that I most appreciate and cherish aboutJet Airways is guest loyalty. And this has been possiblepurely because of the Chairman’s dream of givingworld-class service to flyers.Ms Deepika Poojary (third from left in front row) with her team in 2010.

Coimbatore staff at the 10th anniversary celebrations held in Mumbai onMay 5, 2003. Seen here are Mr Christopher Raj, Ms Jyothi Mahesh and MrLakshmikanth with Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal and Mrs Anita Goyal.ANITAIREDDY Customer Service Manager, Internal Saleswould like to wish Mr and Mrs Goyal as well as theentire Jet Airways family a very happy 20th anniversary.I have been with 9W since August 13, 1996, when I wasappointed as a customer service agent. This job landedin my lap when I was in desperate need to secure myself.Over the years, 9W stood by me like a mother and tookcare of my needs.I consider myself very lucky because my family hadthe opportunity of meeting Mr Goyal when he was atHyderabad for the Black Comedy show. On February 12,2011, after another Black Comedy show, I had the honourof sitting next to Mr Goyal and having dinner.Mr and Mrs Goyal will always hold a special place inmy heart because they have set an excellent example ofsuccess. Starting on a humble note, they have taken theairline to international standards and sustained the bestprivate airline position for over a decade. In spite of all this,both Mr and Mrs Goyal are very approachable, comfortingand caring. Every day I remember both of them in myprayers and wish for their well being. May God almightybless them with the best of health, peace of mind,prosperity and success.HUSSEIN S. JARIWALA Base Manager, Cabin CrewDepartment, ChennaiThe founding of our airline was a milestone in civilaviation in India. Completing over 18 years was a momentof pride for me. Joining as cabin crew and continuing inthe present responsibility as Base Manager, Cabin CrewDepartment, all carry fond and special memories. Over theyears, I had the opportunity to be part of the service department,Mumbai base team, coordinate the Bahrain wet-leaseoperations and to work with some of the finest professionals.My wishes and prayers for a continual fruitful relationship.Ms Kavita Das, Senior Flight Operations Assistant, LGBI Airport, Guwahati,has completed five years with Jet Airways. She writes, “It is only [at JetAirways] that I could realise my actual potential and learn ways to jettisonmy drawbacks and inhibitions.”From left to right: Capt Hassan Al-Mousawi, Sr Vice President Flight Operations,Mr John Guselli, Director JCG Aviation Services, Ms Savina Rodrigues, ExecutiveSecretary, Ms Flavy D’souza, Executive Assistant, Mr Lindsay Naylor, CouncilorJCG Aviation Services and Capt Ranbir Singh, Vice President Flight Safety at theSafety Seminar hosted by Jet Airways from April 16 to 18, 2008.

Left: Mr Naresh Goyal withhis brother Mr SurinderGoyal and Mr Ajay KumarPandey from the FinanceDepartment, Delhi.Jet Airways’ loaders at a colleague’s birthday party in Aurangabad. Cabin crew inside a Jet Airways’ aircraft in the year 1997.The agency awards at Indore (where the theme was ‘Back toSchool’). Seen here are Ms Sonu Kripalani, Mr Tariq Abbasi,Ms Anagha Davare and Ms Jasmine Jagus.The very first batch of Jet Airways’ cabin crew.Ms Ashish Majra (second from left) and a colleague handinga boarding pass to a passenger during the inaugural flightfrom Ahmedabad to London.

Mr Nischal Bhasin on the 5th anniversary of Jet Airways at theAmarchand Mansion office in Mumbai.Ms Meera Gautama (standing next to Chairman Mr Naresh Goyal) with Ms Rinku Shahof cabin crew training along with in-flight team members.NISCHAL BHASIN General Manager–Sales, Delhi & NCRWe were all very excited as it was one of thefirst important milestones among the many wehave had since our inception. I was the AssistantManager, Sales, based at Amarchand Mansion,Mumbai, reporting to Sonu [Kripalani]. We had madean aircraft side-view with windows on the main showwindow of the office. We all celebrated by wearing‘High 5’ T-shirts and yellow gloves with ‘High 5’written on them.We divided ourselves into teams and went toour top Travel Agents and Corporates to do a blitzwith Jet Airways banners, pom-poms and a musicsystem, playing songs. In the evening, we hired fivetongas, decorated the same in our corporate coloursand took out a procession from Amarchand Mansionto Nariman Point and back. There was a lot of noise,lot of music and lot of fun.Mr Naveet Naseer with his colleagues inside the aircraft that operated on May 5, 1998,the 5th anniversary of Jet Airways at Kochi.Fifth anniversary ‘High 5’ celebrations.Mr Dato K Jeyakanthan, Sr Vice President, Aircraft Projects & Product (Technical), withMrs Anita Goyal and actress Sridevi at an event.

KALPANA VENKATESHAssistant Manager, MumbaiTwenty years ago, I was a youngwoman, fresh out of college. I showedup at the airport counter of Jet Airwaysready to start my first day at a real job.Over the past 20 years, I’ve workedmy way up from a customer serviceassistant to an assistant manager.I’ve seen that even through toughtimes my airline never wavered,good times or bad we matched thecompetitive pricing, flew on time,aircraft were maintained, and thecustomer service standard remainedbest-in-class. All thanks to a leader whopersisted through the losses, and yetnever missed a single month’s salary in20 years. He has been generous withthe bonus too.A lot has changed in two decades.Twenty years back, we had just a fewleased aircraft, today we have a largefleet of over 100 aircraft. I’ve watchedmy company go public, share pricesgrew slowly but steadily, and eventually,we were made stakeholders too.I’ve still kept every letter Jet Airwayssent me right from my job offer to mylast increment. When I started at Jet wewere all a young inexperienced bunchof college graduates. Quite a few of thisbunch are still with Jet, with job titlesranging from Assistant Managerto Director.One of the proudest moments ofmy life was receiving the ‘SeamlessCustomer Care Award’ from the thenCEO Mr Wolfgang Prock-Schauer. Inthe last twenty years there have beena host of other domestic as well asinternational awards the airline haswon, but the greatest award has beenfrom the passengers themselves.And I can gladly say that the goodtimes have far outnumbered the badones. May God bless this airline, themanagement, the employees and itspassengers with an eternity of goodfortune and fair winds.Mr Naresh Goyal with childrenNamrata and Nivaan Goyal.SHAKIR KANTAWALA Regional Manager—Sales &IMarketing Gulf, Middle East & N.Africahave been with Jet Airways since June 1995 and haveretained many copies of our in-flight magazine. In 2008, Iselected the covers of some of the ‘milestone’ JetWings andnow proudly display them on the wall of my officein Dubai.These specific issues (from amongst the many more that Ihave), cover major events of the formative years of our airline,and its international expansion, for example, the very firstissue, 5th anniversary, 10th anniversary, 15th anniversary, FFPupgrades, uniform changes, etc.

RADHIKAISHEKHARAN Revenue Accountswas one among the few people who were sent ondeputation to Jet Airways (Revenue Accounts) in 1993from JetAir.I still remember the important day—May 5, 1993—whenour first flight took off and all of us were excited. The accountsdepartment was not fully set up and there were a few peoplewho were assigned different tasks available at that time.With the support and guidance from my seniors and mycolleagues from various departments along with technologychanges, we managed to formulate a smooth operationsprocess. During this period, I moved to different offices, fromRas Hotel, SM Annexe, Litolier and now Kaledonia. Therewere a lot of ups and downs faced in this journey along withbalancing work and family, which I have tried my best toovercome with the grace of God and support from my familyand seniors. I also remember the time we had worked behindthe shutters during the 1993 riots, sitting in the basementat Ras on boxes and working. The annual party, pujas andpicnics are memorable and will always be cherished.I have learnt a lot from this organisation and would liketo convey a special thanks to Mr Ananth Iyer, Ms ShobhaRanderia and Mr V Janakiraman who have been very helpfuland encouraging.This tenure with Jet Airways has been undoubtedly themost brilliant experience of my life which I would alwaysremember. Finally, heartiest wishes to our Chairman, MrNaresh Goyal and Mrs Anita Goyal for this outstanding andwell-deserved achievement.RUCHIKA SINGH General Manager Sales, East IndiaI joined Jet Airways on September 1, 1995, unawareof the fact that the next decade and a half (still counting)would be a life-changing experience as I grew along withthe most promising airline in India, which would, with time,become a global brand. I would like to share some of theexperiences which influenced me and shaped my life.Long before I met our Chairman, I got the opportunity tomeet one of the most important influences in my life—MrsGoyal. It was at a team meeting where my suggestionswere rudely discarded by a colleague. I was filled withembarrassment until I heard a soft but firm voice say “allowher to speak“. Mrs Goyal has always encouraged me tospeak, has defended me at meetings by explaining thechallenges faced in my part of the country.As the years went by, I had the good fortune of meetingour Chairman on a few occasions. I remember a day whenhe had visited our office on Park Street and it had pouredso much that we had trouble escorting him to the airportbecause his Mercedes broke down but he maintained hiscalm throughout the mayhem.My team members and their families have immenserespect for him. On behalf of all of us in East India, I wouldlike to convey many congratulations to Mr and Mrs Goyal.We all hope to be a part of this glorious organisation formany more years, taking it to even greater heights.Ms Shobha with CEO Mr Nikos Kardassis, on the 5th anniversaryof Jet Airways in May 1998.Jet Airways’ employees from Ahmedabad at the Black Comedy show inAhmedabad, held in 2011.On the occasion of Jet Airways' 20th anniversary, with compliments from Spenta Multimedia