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Flying high with ISO 9001
28 Dec 2007
Topics: Quality management, ISO 9001, India
Doing things by halves is not for Vijay Mallya, chairman and CEO of Kingfisher Airlines. As well as being an MP and running one of India's largest conglomerates - United Breweries Group - he owns 26 homes, several yachts and the thick end of a Formula 1 racing team (Force India, formerly Spyker). In 2005, he segued into the airline industry and now runs India's largest domestic carrier.
Drawing comparisons with fellow flamboyant billionaire, Richard Branson, Mallya launched Kingfisher Airlines, (which is shrewdly named after UBG's flagship beer brand as alcohol advertising is banned in the country), with a fleet of new planes, a first for the sub-continent. Since take-off, the airline has grabbed 13 per cent of the domestic market, has plans to move into American airspace and has collected an array of awards from "Best New Airline of the Year" to "Buzziest Brand".
Number one for customer satisfaction
Kingfisher now serves 32 destinations with more than 200 flights a day and a fleet of 35 planes. It also recently acquired a large stake in Air Deccan, extending the coverage to 69 cities served by 550 daily flights and 75 aircraft.
The airline boasts that it has no passengers, only "guests". As a result of outstanding customer services (personalized video screens with movies on demand, video games and live TV; on-board suit pressing and spectacle cleaning services; gourmet food with six menu choices for each meal), it has become India's number one airline for customer satisfaction.
Added to this, Skytrax, a UK-based body which carries out international passenger surveys, also ranks Kingfisher as one of only six airlines in the world to carry its 5 Star rating. According to Skytrax this constitutes: "The ultimate ranking - 5 Star status recognizes the airline as being at the forefront of product innovation, that sets the trend for other carriers to follow."
Certification
With the customer at the heart of its operation, certification to ISO 9001 was a logical next step for the airline.
BSI Management Systems India pitched for the work against stiff competition but was able to demonstrate to Kingfisher's executive that it understood the airline's requirements and offered the kind of service that sat comfortably with Kingfisher's premium positioning. BSI India's Country Manager, Venkataram Arabolu said of his team's success that "Our main selling point was our high quality of service delivery that lent our brand to their powerful brand and gave them a competitive advantage."
As a result of the extensive external audit by BSI Management Systems, Kingfisher first achieved certification for its in-flight services, catering, marketing, quality and guest commitment and its King Club frequent flyer programme; in all covering 598 employees. It has since expanded it registration to include its engineering services operations across a further 32 locations and 748 employees.
World-class
Evidently Mallya is more than pleased with the results. He states: "This certification, bestowed on Kingfisher Airlines after a stringent audit conducted by BSI Management Systems (British Standards Institution), holds a special place in my heart as I have always believed in providing a world-class airline experience, even in the domestic Indian skies."
His in-flight magazine continues: "This [certification] makes Kingfisher Airlines the only airline in India and one of the select few globally to have received such an endorsement. This validates our commitment to Guest Delight and puts us on par with international standards. This certification assures our guests that every time they fly with us, our focus is always to consistently delight them."
To find out more about certification to ISO 9001 in India, visit:asia.bsi-global.com/India+Quality
Photo source: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License (cc-by-sa-2.0).
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