Efforts to revive Jet Airways are futile. A hard assessment is needed to understand its debacle, pin accountability

There is so much pontification now about selling the airline. But what is left for a buyer? An airline’s main assets are its aircraft, flying rights, slots, parking rights and its personnel. Parking rights and slots in Mumbai and Delhi, and in cities abroad are priceless assets.

jet airways, jet airways grounded, jet airways debt, jet airways flights, jet airways loans, naresh goyal, naresh goyal jet airways, indian express opinions, — Illustration by C R Sasikumar

Just last year Jet Airways celebrated its 25th Anniversary. It pulled out all the stops in celebration, heralding the milestone with a swish commemorative logo, and revelled in the fulsome praise lavished on it from all quarters. Notable among all the compliments it basked in, besides the praise for its fleet, crew and service quality, was the hardiness with which it had survived for decades a variety of external body blows like draconian aviation fuel hikes, global currency fluctuations, industry challenges and fierce competition, both global and domestic, from worthy competitors. Naresh Goyal took a long, deep bow.