Airlines Operation to Puducherry: Poor Patronage or Inefficiency of the Carrier?

Abstract

Puducherry is a known tourist destination and if merged with the neighboring Tamil Nadu becomes largest tourist receiving region in the country. An airlines carrier SpiceJet operated till recently in February last year, when it withdrew operations from Puducherry. Study revealed however that this flying sector has been making steady growth and making profits though not comparable with prime sectors of the airlines company. Despite the conducive environment, the airlines" choice of scrapping the route deserves research. The present study thus is a sincere attempt to study the viability of the Puducherry sector for airlines operation. For the purpose it examined the perception of travellers about the select quality aspects of air transportation prevailed in Puducherry viz. choice of air travel over other modes, time factor and cost or value for money. The study was conducted across occupational groups for future segmentation of the market. The data for the research was collected through primary survey at Bengaluru amongst passengers who travelled to Puducherry by air. Secondary data related to the study were collected from Puducherry airport and other internet sources.The findings of survey revealed as respondents expressed their satisfaction about timing aspects of air travel; however the time to reach the airports in both Bengaluru and Puducherry is a concern that needs to be looked into by the local governments of respective states. Test of * Assistant Professor, Dept. of Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University, Pondicheery, Tamilnadu, India; jitenban@gmail.com Atna-Journal Tourism StudiesISSN 0975-3281 46 hypotheses revealed respondents are not divided across occupational backgrounds on grounds of preference of air travel, time factor, cost and value for money. Thus by and large respondents were satisfied with various aspects of airlines operation. On the contrary secondary data related the airlines operations vis-à-vis other carriers in the country explained deep financial losses and increased cost of operations over the period could be the reasons for streamlining of operations and withdrawal from less popular routes. The company has been losing market share over last year. Thus reason for suspension of the sector was found to be not the lack of demand of the sector, but chiefly internal reasons of the airlines company. However, in future joint marketing strategies by various stakeholders especially the airlines and Puducherry Tourism would help reviving airlines operation in the region.