The Hindu Business Line : Mallya ropes in JetBlue honcho to head Kingfisher Air

THE UB group Chairman, Mr Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines Ltd has inducted Mr Alex Wilcox as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) to head the proposed airline venture that is expected to start operations early next year.

Mr Wilcox joins Kingfisher from the New York-based JetBlue, a value carrier with a fleet of over 50 A320s.

Top UB officials confirmed that Mr Alex Wilcox will shortly join the new airline "once we get the necessary clearances from the Government of India for appointing him".

Mr Wilcox as the operational head will be based out of Mumbai. It is learnt that Mr Wilcox headed JetBlue's operations in the western US market accounting for a significant share of that airline's revenues.

The induction of Mr Wilcox follows a major hunt for an operational head and what led to the selection was the similarity in the positioning of JetBlue and Kingfisher Airlines as a "value carrier targeting to a segment of the airline business" - with fares slightly more than the low-cost competition and high quality customer service. All aircraft in the Kingfisher fleet will seat 180 passengers in a one-class "funliner" configuration.

Sources said no decision has been taken yet on whether Mr Wilcox will be on the board of Kingfisher Airlines which currently comprises Mr Vijay Mallya, Mr Subash Gupte, Vice-Chairman of the UB group, Mr A.K. Ravi Nedungadi, President and CFO of the group, and Mr R.N. Pillai, who is the Managing Director of UB Holdings Ltd, the parent company of the proposed airline.

Mr Mallya has already roped in Mr Pervez Damania and Mr Vispi Damania, former promoters of Damania Airways, and aviation expert Mr Vinay Kashyap, to assist him in the airline venture.

UB had earlier said its proposed low-cost airline has the backing of European export credit agencies (ECAs) to acquire Airbus aircraft. The ECA-guaranteed aircraft finance transaction will help UB Holdings Ltd to raise funds at London Inter-Bank offered rates.

Kingfisher Air has signed a deal with Airbus to acquire 12 brand new A-320 aircraft, each of them costing around $58 million.