BS People: Giorgio De Roni

No stranger to the aviation world

He may be a newcomer to India but he’s no stranger to the world of aviation. GoAir's new chief executive officer Giorgio De Roni (53) shaped the growth of Italian carrier Air One in his 10-year stint. He was the airline’s chief revenue officer and his responsibilities included sales and marketing, fleet and network planning, revenue management and alliances.

By the time he left Air One in 2008, the airline had a fleet of 64 planes including two Airbus A330s, 10 CRJs, 52 Airbus A320s and a network spread across Europe and the United States. The airline flew eight million passengers that year and had a 30 per cent market share on the Rome-Milan sector, the busiest in Italy.

Now, as the CEO of the Wadia group airline, De Roni has to ensure the growth of the smallest airline in India. Last week GoAir placed an order for 72 Airbus A320s which will be delivered from 2015 onwards. It will receive 10 aircraft in the next two years and take some more on lease. "We have significant growth plans. We need to expand our customer base and keep customers loyal,'' he told media persons last week.

De Roni acknowledges that it will not be possible to replicate the European policies in the Indian market. "Europe is a mature market. There is overcapacity in Europe. We have to realise that the environment and cost structures are different. In Europe aviation turbine fuel is not taxed,'' he stated. De Roni added that passenger profiles in India and Europe are not the same and the Indian passenger will not accept levies on extra hand luggage, which are common in Europe.

For now, De Roni has been visiting various cities – including Delhi, Jammu and Leh – that are served by the airline, interacting with executives and understanding business processes. He is also drawing up marketing and commercial plans for the airline. Ask him whether the country needs so many aircraft, and he retorts, "The possibility of growth is huge. Air transport will generate economic growth in India and that will generate additional passengers for airlines.''