The good times with Jet Airways - Jan 1998 to Jun 2003
My 1st visit to
BOM to meet with Jet Airways CEO Nikos
Kardasis and Chairman
Naresh Goyal was in Dec 1997. Jet had only 15 B737 - 400 aircraft then.
It was Dato Guru the VP Ops for Jet Airways, who invited me to join him.
Meriam who was still employed as Physiotherapist in
GH KL, also accompanied me.
We were provided with a Hertz car to view the city and and assess the living conditions. Must say we ended up fascinated with the
prospect of spending the next few years in India.
Below
Meriam on a shopping spree in
Colaba.
Jan 1998 - Em
ployed by the Airline. A Flight Operations Christmas party, organised by
Dato Guru (VP Ops) in Jan 1998 was for me, a fitting introduction to the staff of Jet Airways.
Meriam on the dance floor with
Sainath, who gave us a fine display of
Bollywood dancing.
Staff of mine below. Meeting Capt
Hatangadi (Ops
Mng) &
Kumaran (Tech School
Mng), for the first time.
The first of
Naresh Goyal's dinner parties.
We all congregated in an apartment below his so as to make a surprised entrance, as it was Nita Goyal's birthday. It was all to confusing to me then.
Below From L: Mrs
Baliga (a gentle refined lady),
Meriam, Philip
Crasta (VP Planning), Mr
Baliga (VP Engineering) and
Dato Guru (who was sick and left early).
Nita's birthday bash. Below from L: Famous South Indian
Actress Sri Devi,
Meriam and Naresh Goyal.
Meriam with
Sri Devi & her husband below.
Gert Van
de Veer, ex Chairman of South African Airways was a Board member of Jet. Here we are after a Board meeting having a discussion. Guru does not look very convinced!
After a heavy day in the office I am relaxing with Meriam on our 'love chair' in the bedroom. We had a beautiful bedroom in Shubham Apartments, Juhu.
Les Hayward and Karen having fun at a
Divali party at
Naresh's.
Les was an ex-Qantas Captain who was also head of the B747-400 fleet.
He joined Jet a few years later as Ops Manager. He left Jet 2001 and is currently serving on the Board of Air New Guinea.
To the left of les is CEO Steve Forte's wife.
Divali dinner at Naresh's.
Included in the picture are Steve Forte, who had joined us late 1999 as CEO replacing Nikos, and Saroj Datta ( Executive Director).
Les Hayward had decided to call it quits in 2001. We threw a farewell party for him on the 26
th Feb.
Another 'do' at
Naresh's. This time we have new entrants into management viz. 2
Snr VP's under Steve Forte.
Steve chatting with
Saroj.
A simple impromptu gathering of Management Jet Airways on my 59th Birthday.
We had just completed a Board meeting - hence the disheveled looks on some of us.
The scene was at the Mainland China restaurant which was just down the road from SM Centre, our office
In the picture from R are:
Sarberjit,
Jeyakanthan, Gen
Ashok Verma, the great
Hariharan, ?,? .
Another section of the Chinese restaurant. Capt Naveen Malkani is seated at the rear. His wife Jeya is seated next to Meriam.
My colleagues and our Boss at gathering.
From L: Capt Sarberjit Singh, Baliga (VP), Naresh Goyal (Chairman), Rajesh Verma (VP), Nita Goyal (VP) and a smiling Premila (Naidu?)
59 years old and looking young again - without the beard.
I am ready to cut the cake. Jeya (Capt Malkani's wife) seems to be having a good laugh.
My staff in Flight Operations. Taken on the 27th Jan 2003 a few months prior to my departure. Can only recollect some of the names.
Rear L-R: Geeta, Renita, Pamela, ?, Angela, Vidiya, Vaishali, Regina (my dear secretary)
Front L-R: Savina, Gloria & Me
Dinner hosted by President of Embraer on the occasion of the signing of the LOI by Jet Airways. Our CEO Steve Forte is on the extreme right.
It was a busy night - hence the discussion with Mr Saroj Datta. And Naresh was making things easy either.
Jan 1998 - Employed by the Airline. A Flight Operations Christmas party, organised by Dato Guru (VP Ops) in Jan 1998 was for me, a fitting introduction to the staff of Jet Airways.
Nita's birthday bash. Below from L: Famous South Indian Actress Sri Devi, Meriam and Naresh Goyal.
Gert Van de Veer, ex Chairman of South African Airways was a Board member of Jet. Here we are after a Board meeting having a discussion. Guru does not look very convinced!
