A Comparative Study of Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines: Rise, Decline, and Industry Implications

  • Unique Paper ID: 193633
  • PageNo: 1073-1076
  • Abstract:
  • This research paper provides an in-depth comparative analysis of two major Indian full-service airlines—Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines—which once dominated the commercial aviation sector in India. Their operational success, followed by steep decline, demonstrates systemic weaknesses in management, regulatory structures, capital allocation, branding policies, and financial control. This paper expands on historical events, business strategy, financial decisions, external pressures, insolvency proceedings, and long-term consequences for stakeholders including employees, banks, suppliers, government agencies, consumers, and regulators. Finally, it offers lessons and recommendations for sustainable aviation operations in developing economies.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{193633,
        author = {Shreesha R Huddar},
        title = {A Comparative Study of Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines: Rise, Decline, and Industry Implications},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {10},
        pages = {1073-1076},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=193633},
        abstract = {This research paper provides an in-depth comparative analysis of two major Indian full-service airlines—Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines—which once dominated the commercial aviation sector in India. Their operational success, followed by steep decline, demonstrates systemic weaknesses in management, regulatory structures, capital allocation, branding policies, and financial control. This paper expands on historical events, business strategy, financial decisions, external pressures, insolvency proceedings, and long-term consequences for stakeholders including employees, banks, suppliers, government agencies, consumers, and regulators. Finally, it offers lessons and recommendations for sustainable aviation operations in developing economies.},
        keywords = {This research paper focuses on the rise and fall of Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines within the Indian aviation industry, highlighting the impact of aviation sector liberalization, private airline growth, and full-service carrier business models. It examines strategic expansion, market leadership, and branding efforts under founders Naresh Goyal and Vijay Mallya, alongside challenges such as intense competition from low-cost carriers, high operating and fuel costs, aggressive fleet acquisition, and debt-driven expansion. The study emphasizes financial mismanagement, poor corporate governance, liquidity crises, negative cash flows, and regulatory pressures from bodies like the DGCA, which ultimately led to insolvency, bankruptcy, and airline shutdowns. Using a comparative case study approach, the paper analyzes airline failure, risk management shortcomings, and sustainability issues in the Indian aviation sector.},
        month = {March},
        }

Cite This Article

Huddar, S. R. (2026). A Comparative Study of Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines: Rise, Decline, and Industry Implications. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(10), 1073–1076.

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