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Branding failures of Indian Aviation Industry

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1. INTRODUCTIONIndian hospitality sector contributes 8-9 percent of the countrys GDP. The sector

encompasses travel and tourism and major segments that fall under this category include

accommodation and catering (hotels, restaurants), transportation (cruise, railway, rentals,

airline companies), travel agencies and tour operators.

The tourism and hospitality sector together contributed US $32.7bn in 2011, and

registered a CAGR of 13 percent. Currently, India has 114,000 hotel rooms, which stands

150,000 rooms short in meeting the current requirement. Thus, the growth opportunity for this

sector is immense, but is tangled with challenges across parallel sectors and the overall

economy.

According to estimates provided by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC),

contribution of travel and tourism to nations GDP will grow consistently in the next decadethough this growth opportunity will be closely linked to the growth of Indias hotel and

restaurant business.

Indian aviation sector has witnessed a phenomenal growth chart in the last decade.

Today, India is the 9th largest civil aviation market in the world and ranks fourth in domestic

passenger volumes with a market worth of US $12bn. As per AAI, passenger handling capacity

has risen two-fold from 72 million (FY 06) to 143 million (FY 11), and freight traffic has risen from

1.5 million MT (FY 06) to 2.3 million MT (FY 11).

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) was the only major player involved in developing

and upgrading airports in India for a long time, but private sector participation has increased

post liberalisation. Major private sector players in aviation are GMR Infrastructure, GVK,

Siemens, Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Maytas Infra Ltd., and Unique Aviation Services Pvt. Ltd.

Total domestic passengers carried by the scheduled domestic airlines in November2012 were 5.02 million (465, 000 higher than those carried in October 2012). The

number of passengers carried by domestic airlines was 53.4 million between

January-November 2012.

The market share of scheduled domestic airlines for the month of November 2012was: Air India-20.7 per cent, Jet Airways-18.3 per cent, JetLite-6.9 per cent, IndiGo-

27.3 per cent, Spice Jet- 19.5 per cent and Go Air- 7.4 per cent.


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B y 2020, Indian airports are expected to handle more than 100 million passengersincluding 60million domestic passengers and around 3.4 million tons of cargo per

annum.

2. PROBLEM DEFINITIONa. To study the problems faced by Indian Aviation companies.b. To find out what Kingfisher Airlines did wrong in terms of Branding.c. To discuss the successful marketing strategies could be adopted by aviation companies.d. To maintain Brand Equity among consumers in competitive business scenarios

3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE To understand the Branding related problem faced by Indian Aviation companies and to

discuss few successful strategies that could be adopted by Aviation industry

4. LITERATURE REVIEW Mr. ABC in his article Branding Tool: Content & event management help branding dated Jan

13, 2013 Times of India, says that Branding plays a pivotal point for a branding of a school

where they conduct their annual functions for the students & their parents.

Mr. XYZ in his article 10 laws of Social Media Marketing which was published in Entrepreneurmagazine says that it is vital to understand social media marketing fundamental to build a

strong foundation for the brand. But getting started without any previous experience or insight

could be challenging.

Mrs. Susan Gunelius, in her article 10 Brand Marketing Trends that should dominate 2013dated Dec 18, 2012 Forbes talks about brand marketing trends that could open significant

opportunities and make the brand more dominating in 2013.

Kiran Somuanshi, in his article Higher Royalty Hurt HULs bottom Line which was published onJan 21, 2013 discusses that royalty increase of 3.15% would drastically affect the HULs future

profit.


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5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design

This study discusses about the various Branding failures/disasters that had been

prevailing in the Indian Aviation Industry.

This study is being made to find out the correct branding and positioning strategies that

could be adopted.

Data Collection1. Nature of Data: Data collection for this research is completely based on the secondary

sources of data

2. Sources of Data: The secondary data is mainly collected from the newspapers, magazines,articles, research papers, companys annual reports, websites and Dion database.

Tools UsedAs this report is totally based on secondary data, there is heavy reliance on various

articles, reports by other Data Collection Organizations, Newspapers, Journals, and

Databases etc.

Scope and Limitations1. The scope of the report is limited to study the Branding failures faced by the companies in

the Indian Aviation industry namely Jet Airways Ltd, SpiceJet Ltd and Kingfisher Airline Ltd

2. There is heavy reliance on the financial information that is provided by the companysannual reports and data that is obtained from the Dion database.


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6. CURRENT SCENARIO OF THE INDIAN AVIATION SECTORThe Indian Aviation Industry has been going through a turbulent phase over the past

several years facing multiple headwinds high oil prices and limited pricing power contributed

by industry wide over capacity and periods of subdued demand growth.While in the beginning

of 2008-09, the sector was impacted by sharp rise in crude oil prices, it was the decline in

passenger traffic growth which led to severe underperformance during H2 2008-09 to H1 2009-

10. The operating environment improved for a brief period in 2010-11 on back of recovery in

passenger traffic, industry-wide capacity discipline and relatively stable fuel prices. However,

elevated fuel prices over the last three quarters coupled with intense competition and

unfavorable foreign exchange environment has again deteriorated the financial performance of

airlines.

To address the concerns surrounding the operating viability of Indian carriers, the

Government on its part has recently initiated a series of measures including (a) proposal to

allow foreign carriers to make strategic investments (up to 49% stake) in Indian Carriers (b)

proposal to allow airlines to directly import ATF (c) lifting the freeze on international expansions

of private airlines and (d) financial assistance to the national carrier.Despite reforms, the

domestic aviation sector continues to operate under high cost environment due to high taxes on

Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), high airport charges, significant congestion at major airports, dearth

of experienced commercial pilots, inflexible labor laws and overall higher cost of capital. While

most of these factors are not under direct control of airline operators, the problems have

compounded due to industry-wide capacity additions, much in excess of actual demand.Besides,

aggressive fleet expansion (Low Cost Carrier (LCC) airlines on long termoperating leases; Flight

Service Carriers (FSC) have purchased aircrafts by debt financing backed by bank guarantees) to

leverage the anticipated robust growth and to support and expand international operations

impacted significantly on the capital structure and weakened the creditprofile of most domestic

airlines. The higher the amount of debt that the firm uses, the higher is the financial risk and

higher are the chances of bankruptcy under the conditions of low operating profits.

While the domestic airlines have not been able to attract foreign investors (up to 49%

FDI is allowed, though foreign airlines are currently not allowed any stake), foreign airlines may

be interested in taking strategic stakes due to their deeper business understanding, longer


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investment horizons and overall longer term commitment towards the global aviation industry.

Healthy passenger traffic growth on account of favorable demographics, rising disposable

incomes and low air travel penetration could attract long-term strategic investments in the

sector. However there are two key challenges: i) aviation economics is currently not favorable in

India resulting in weak financial performance of airlines and ii) Internationally, too airlines are

going through period of stress which could possibly dissuade their investment plans in newer

markets.From the working capital standpoint too, airlines will need to deploy significant amount

of resources in sourcing fuel which may not be easy given the stretched balance sheets and tight

liquidity profile of most airlines.

7. OVERVIEW OF THE LISTED INDIAN AIRLINE COMPANIES Kingfisher Airlines Ltd

1. Company History:Kingfisher Airlines is one of the leading private players in the Indian aviation industry.

Incorporated in 1995 as Deccan Aviation, the company is engaged in the business of

providing passenger services and helicopter charter services.The name was changed to

Kingfisher Airlines in the year 2008. The airline is part of UB Group owned by Dr Vijay

Mallya. Kingfisher Airlines owns 76 aircraft comprising A330, A 321 (single and double

cabin), A 320 (single and double cabin), A 319, ATR 72-500 and ATR 42-500.In India, the

airline has a network in 72 cities operating more than 400 flights a day and commands a

market share of 25%. Internationally, it operates flights to Dubai, Colombo and London.

2. Awards: Kingfisher Airlines was awarded NDTV Profit Business Leadership Award for Aviation. Kingfisher Airlines was acknowledged as 'India's only 5 Star airline' and '6th airline in the

world' was certified by Skytrax.

Kingfisher was rated as Asia Pacific's 'Top Airline Brand' in a survey conducted by TNS on'Asia Pacific's Top 1,000 Brands' for 2008.

3. Financials:Kingfishers profitability situation is the most concerning. While the carrier reported an

EBTIDAR profit of INR1.25 billion (USD25 million) in the quarter (EBITDAR margin declined


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from 17.5% to 8.1%), it was loss-making at the EBITDA level (INR1.47 billion/USD30 million)

with its EBITDA margin declining from 2.5% to -9.5% in the quarter. The carrier also reported

a loss before exceptional items and tax of INR5.78 billion (USD117 million) and a net loss of

INR4.44 billion (USD90.2 million) for a net loss margin of 33%.

Jet Airways Ltd1. Company History:

Jet Airways (India) was incorporated in 1992, as an airline company. In India it has over 357

fights daily to 42 destinations. It operates flight to 20 international destinations.The

Companys subsidiaries include Jet Lite (India), Jet Airways LLC, Trans Continental e Services,

Jet Enterprises, Jet Airways of India Inc., India Jetairways Pty and Jet Airways Europe

Services N.V. It provides services such as airport lounges, bus services, coach services,complimentary chauffeur drive services.

2. Awards: Jet Airways won airline with best first-class service in the world award at Business

Travelers 20th annual best in business travel awards gala in the USA.

Jet Airways was awarded Best Cargo Airline of Central Asia at the prestigious CargoAirline of the Year Awards.

Jet Airways was voted as the Best Airline in Central/South Asia and India in an annualGlobal Traveler magazine survey.

3. Financials:Jet Airways posted its fourth straight quarterly loss in 3QFY2012. While the carrier, which is

reportedly seeking to raise INR 10 billion (USD203 million) in working capital loans, was

profitable at an EBITDAR level with an INR 2099 million (USD40 million) profit in the quarter,

its loss after tax stood at INR 1012 million (USD19 million) compared with a profit of INR

1182 million (USD26 million) in 3QFY2011. Jet Airways, most likely, will post a full year loss

in FY2011/12 and the coming financial year looks equally challenging. However, the airline is

likely to benefit from the weakness at both Kingfisher and Air India, with the carrier having

success at attracting corporate customers and improving yields and loads factors, which are

now in the 85-90% range in the domestic market.


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SpiceJet Ltd1. Company History:

Royal Airways-promoted SpiceJet is an airline company, which was earlier known as

Modiluft. It was among the first private companies that stepped into the Indian aviation

sector.Further, in May 2005 Royal Airways changed its name to SpiceJet.SpiceJet was

launched with an objective to deliver the lowest air fares with the highest consumer value,

to price sensitive consumers.Currently, the company enjoys a market share of over

8%.SpiceJet follows Low Cost Carrier (LCC) business model on the lines of the most

successful LCCs globally and provides the lowest cost per unit amongst Indian LCCs.It owns

11 Boeing 737 800 aircraft. SpiceJet currently operates 83 flights daily to 14 destinations

connecting metros and nonmetros. The aircraft utilization of SpiceJet is amongst the highest

in India.

2. Awards: SpiceJet was awarded '2008 Emerging Company of the Year Award for Indian

Commercial Aviation' by Frost & Sullivan.

SpiceJet was ranked amongst the top 10 budget airlines in Asia by Smart Travel Asiamagazine based on a surveyed commissioned 'Best in Travel Poll' on the low-cost

carriers.

SpiceJet won 'CIO 100 award' from CIO magazine for its technological innovations inaviation industry.

3. Financials:SpiceJet reported a loss before and after tax of INR392.5 million (USD8 million) in the

quarter, compared to profits of USD24 million and USD19.3 million, respectively, in

3QFY2011. Despite the losses in the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, SpiceJet

has reported growth at both the top and bottom lines in the past two financial years.


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Graphical RepresentationThe following graphs shows the sales and PAT figures for all the 3 airlines for the year ending

March 2012 and their latest quarterly results

Graph 1: Annual Results as on Mar 12

Graph 2: Latest Quarterly Results

6. OVERVIEW OF THE LISTED INDIAN AIRLINE COMPANIES


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8. ALTMANS Z SCORE MODELIn 1968, Edward Altman published what has become the best known predictor of bankruptcy.

This predictor is a statistical model that combines five financial ratios to produce a product

called a Z score. The model has proven to be a dependable instrument in forecasting failure in a

diverse mix of business entities. Dr. Altmans original model is calculated as:

Z= 0.012X1+0.014X2+0.033X3+0.006X4+0.999X5

Where Z Represents the overall Score

X1Working Capital / Total Assets

Working capital/total assets (X) is a measure of liquid assets in relation to the firms size. The

difference between current assets and current liabilities represents working capital. The current

assets of a firm include cash on hand, accounts receivable, and inventories; the latter two assets

are considered current, if cash conversion is expected within an operating cycle of a business.

Current liabilities consist of the firms financial obligations-short-term debt and accounts

payablewhich will be met during the operating cycle. A positive working capital indicates a

firms ability to pay its bills. A business entity with a negative working capital will experience

difficulty meeting its obligations. Altmans research finds this ratio to be more helpful than other

liquidity ratios, such as the current ratio or the quick ratio. (Altman, 2000; Chuvakhin&

Germania, 2003)

X2 Retained Earnings / Total Assets

Retained earnings/total assets (X2) represent a measure of cumulative profitability reflecting the

firms age as well as its earning power. A history of profitable operations and reduced debt is

signified by firms that retain earnings or reinvest operational profits. Low retainedearnings

may indicate a poor business year or reduced longevity for the firm. According to Dun and

Bradstreet, 50% of businesses fail within the first five years of operation (Altman, 2000, 2002).


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X3 EBIT / Total Assets (a profitability measure)

A measure of an organizations operating efficiency separated from any leverage effects is

a true depiction of asset production. Represented as earnings before interest and

taxes/total assets (X3), this ratio estimates that cash supply available for allocation to

creditors, the government, and shareholders. Altman (2000) classifies the ratio as a superior

measure of profitability that is better than cash flow.

X4Market Value of Equity / Book Value of Total Debt (a leverage measure)

Altman (2000, 2002) defines the market value of equity, or market capitalization, as a

summation of both preferred and common stock or market value of equity/book value of total

debt (X4). The stock market, the primary estimator of a firms worth, suggests that price

changes may foreshadow pending problems if a firms liabilities exceed its assets. Altmanbelieves this ratio is a more effective financial distress predictor than net worth/total debt

(Book values).

X5Sales / Total Assets (a measure for sales generating ability of a firms assets)

The next ratio, sales/total assets (X5) signifies a standard turnover measure that

unfortunatelyvaries from one industry to another. Yet, the ratio is an indicator of a firms

efficient use of assets to create sales (Chuvakhin&Gertmenian, 2003). Altman (2000) has defined

this as one measure of managements capacity in dealing with competitive conditions

(p.22). Finally, Eidleman (1995) explains the applicability of the previously discussed ratios.

Specifically, Eidleman states Each of these ratios is multiplied by a predetermined weight

factor, and the results are added together. If the score is above 2.99, the firm is healthy. If it

is below 1.81, the firm is viewed as failing. Values ranging from 1.81 to 2.99 represent the so-

called grey area, when there is no clear prediction.

Altmans pioneer study was based on a sample of 66 publicly traded, manufacturing firms.

Thirty-three of the firms had filed for bankruptcy and all had assets over$1million.His model

correctly predicted financial failure for 95% of the firms, one year prior to their demise.

Accuracy decreased to 72% two years out and to 52% three years prior to insolvency (Altman,

1968). Type I errors, those that predict a bankruptcy that does not occur, were shown for 6% of


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the firms analyzed. Type II errors also were shown for 6% of the firms analyzed. Type II errors

predict a solvent firm that files bankruptcy (Altman, 1993).

In 1983, Altman developed a revised Z-score model for privately held firms. The revised Z-scores

substituted the book value of equity for the market value in X4. The new Z-score model known

as Zeta Model is as follows

Z= 0.717 X1+0.847 X2+ 3.107 X3+0.420 X4+ 0.998 X5

Cut off scores were also adjusted so that scores of 2.90 are indicators of non bankrupt firms. Firms with scores between 1.23 and 2.90 are

determined to exist in the grey area or zone of ignorance (Altman, 1993). Altmans newsample produces similar results as the original Z-score model, indicating 90.9% accuracy in

bankruptcy forecasting at least one year prior to actual failure. Firms with scores over 2.90 have

a 97% chance of continuing operations with financial health (Altman, 1993).

Altman does not view his original model or his revised Zeta model as perfect, citing four issues:

(a) subjectiveness in the weightings, (b) an element of ambiguity within the model, (c) the

univariate approach, and (d) some misleading ratios. He further feels that the fifth ratio

(sales/total assets) does not represent a difference between failed and nonfailed firms and

does not reflect any variations from industry to industry. In addition, the model is unable to

accurately forecast financial difficulties for non-manufacturing firms and non-publicly operated

forms. As the market value of equity is based on stock prices, thefourth ratio is difficult to

establish in non-public firms. In 1993, Altmans continued research produced a further revised

model, one that eliminates variables X5, sales/total assets. Eliminating sales/totals assets

minimizes the potential industry effect which is more likely to take place when such an industry

sensitive variable as asset turnover is included. The revised Z-score model uses X4=Net Worth

(Book value)/total liabilities to maintain its applicability to privately owned firms. The first three

variables are unchanged; however, the weight factor is again recalculated. Hence the revised Z-

score model is represented as

Z=6.56 X1 + 3.26 X2 + 6.72 X3 + 1.05 X4


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Where cut off scores reflect

Bankrupt firms< 1.10

Non bankrupt firms>2.60

Grey area= 1.10-2.60

Results of Altmans newest revised Z-score model exhibit a 90.9% success rate in predicting

bankruptcy one year prior to firms demise and a 97% accuracy rate for identifying non

bankrupt firms with continuing economic solvency. Table below illustratesAltmans

bankruptcy models

Coefficient Variables Original Model (1968) Revised Model (1983) Revised Four Model (1993)

X1 1.21 0.717 6.56X2 1.41 0.847 3.26

X3 3.30 3.107 6.62

X4 0.6 0.42 1.05

X5 0.999 0.998 NA

Firms Cutoff Scores

Bankrupt Firms < 1.81 < 1.23 < 1.10

Non Bankrupt Firms > 2.67 > 2.90 > 2.60

Grey Area 1.81 - 2.67 1.23 - 2.90 1.10 - 2.60

Accuracy

Type I Accuracy 94% 90.9% 90.9%

Type II Accuracy 97% 97% 97%

Altman cautions that his model has limitations in its applicability to different business entities

with the same prediction accuracy. First, 20 years of studies encompass a diverse assortmentof

manufacturing firms that vary in size. Second, his model does not always have the same

accuracy across these businesses. Even though Altmans bankruptcy prediction model is the

most popular analytical tool utilized by investors, auditors, and stakeholders, Altman advises not

to use his formula to the exclusion of other analytical techniques.


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9. AIR-SCORE MODELBankruptcy and distress prediction for airlines was pioneered by two financial based

DMAstudies in the early eighties (Gritta, 1982; Altman and Gritta, 1984). In these two

studiesgeneric bankruptcy models, not specifically developed for the airline industry, were

appliedon airline data to assess the risk of bankruptcy. Later a dedicated MDA model for the

airlineindustry appeared, named AIRSCORE (Chow, Gritta and Leung, 1991).

It can be argued that a model derived from a sample of the same industrywould be even more

accurate that a generalized model such as the Altman ZScore or ZETAcredit scores. With that in

mind, an industry specificmodel, Air-Score, was specified using a sample restricted to the

airlineindustry (Chow, Gritta and Leung 1991). It included a significant sample ofthe large and

smaller carriers (the latter referred to as regional airlines). Usingan MDA approached similar tothat utilized by Altman, the model derivedwas:

Air-Score = -0.34140X1 + 0.00003X2 + 0.36134X3

The three ratios that were predictive of insolvency or stress were:

X1 = interest/total liabilities (the imputed interest rate on debt)

X2 =operating revenues per air mile

X3 = shareholders equity/ total liabilities

Because the distribution of the scores made the application of a single cut-off pointdifficult and

inappropriate, several gray zones were defined and the model yieldedresults similar to the

Altman Z Score and to ZETA credit scores. It was able to achieveaccuracy rates of between 76%

and 83%, depending on the zone used. While the modelwas somewhat accurate, it did seem to

be a bit biased toward the larger carriers in thesample. The interested reader is referred to the

article for different cutoffs and the results.

Where Air-Score reflect

Healthy firms>0.03

Firms in trouble < -0.095

Grey area= 0.03 to -0.095


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10.DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

Table 1: Computation of Z Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

Variable 2012 2011 2010

Working Capital to Total Assets (X1) 0.510 0.423 0.334

Retained Earnings to Total Assets (X2) (-) 2.604 (-) 1.303 (-) 1.074

EBIT to Total Assets (X3) (-) 0.736 0.217 0.044

MV of Equity to BV of Debt (X4) 0.317 0.228 0.239

Sales to Total Assets 1.864 1.518 1.259

Z Score 1.809 1.512 1.250

Source: https:\\insight.dionglobal.in

Graph 1: Graphical Representation of Z Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

Interpretation:

The company has been continuously failing in terms of improving its profitability and is continuously

running into losses, a poor Retained earnings to Total Assets ratio puts a question mark on the firms

longevity. The cash supply available for creditors, government and other shareholders have also

suffered for the year 2012. The Z-score,although improving, has been continuously in the gray

zone(Between 2.67 to 1.81) for all the three years. To improve its financial position the company will

have operate more efficiently and make optimum utilization of resources, otherwise it would be

difficult for them to sustain in the long run.


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Table 2: Computation of Air-Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

Variable 2012 2011 2010

Interest to Total Assets (X1) 0.43301 0.569992 0.558028

Operating Revenues per air mile (X2) 4.29 4.76 4

Shareholders equity to Total Liabilities (X3) -1.72425 -0.74942 -1.00496

Air-Score -0.77074 -0.46525 -0.55352

Source: https:\\insight.dionglobal.in, Annual Report

Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Air-Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

Interpretation:

It can be interpreted that Kingfisher Airlines has not been doing well in the past three years and

have negative retained earnings leading to negative shareholders equity to liabilities ratio indicating

their performance was not good enough. As per the Air-Score model, the firm is in trouble (< -0.095)

and must take steps necessary to improve their finances or they face a very high risk of going

bankrupt in the near future.


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Jet Airways Ltd.Table 2: Computation of Z Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

Variable 2010 2011 2012

Working Capital to Total Assets (X1) (-) 0.351 0.028 0.004


EBIT to Total Assets (X3) 0.123 0.123 0.088



Z Score 1.473 0.898 0.713

Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Z Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

Interpretation:

The company has been running into losses, a poor Retained earnings to Total Assets is an indication

of the same. Also for the year 2012 the company has registered a negative working capital to total

assets ratio showing the companies poor liquidity condition. The cash supply available for creditors,

government and other shareholders have also suffered for the year 2012. The Z-score,although

improving, points to the distress situation (< 1.81) that the company is in. The company will have to

work towards improving its overall profitability and liquidity in order to survive this stressed

industry.


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Table 2: Computation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

Variable 2012 2011 2010


Operating Revenues per air mile (X2) 4.48811 4.216255 6.95

Shareholders equity to Total Liabilities (X3) -0.0522 0.058441 0.05616752

Air-Score -0.0852 -0.02341 -0.0218055


Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

Interpretation:

It can be seen that the solvency of Jet Airways has been deteriorating over the past 3 years

indicating their performance was not good enough.Howeveras per the Air-Score model they are

neither in a healthy state nor in trouble (between 0.03 to -0.095) but they will have to improve upon

their profitability to prevent insolvency.


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SpiceJet Ltd.Table 1: Computation of Z Scores for SpiceJet Ltd.

Variable 2010 2011 2012

Working Capital to Total Assets (X1) (-) 0.201 (-) 0.716 (-) 3.077


EBIT to Total Assets (X3) (-) 0.782 1.386 4.770



Z Score 5.526 7.114 22.804

Graph 1: Graphical Representation of Z Scores for SpiceJet Ltd.

Interpretation:

The company was in a very strong position in 2010 with a Z-Score of 22.8 way above 2.67 above

which the company is considered to be having enough solvency to survive.The profitability and

liquidity of the company is under pressure for the last two years and therefore their Z-Score have

come drastically down to 5.52 in 2012. However as per the Z-Score model the company falls in the

category of Non-Bankrupt firms (> 2.67) and therefore has good solvency state in the category.


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Table 2: Computation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

Variable 2012 2011 2010


Operating Revenues per air mile (X2) 4.48811 4.216255 6.95

Shareholders equity to Total Liabilities (X3) -0.0522 0.058441 0.05616752

Air-Score -0.0852 -0.02341 -0.0218055


Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

Interpretation:

It can be seen that the solvency of SpiceJet has been improving over the past 3 years indicating that

the company is trying hard to improve its overall operations and thereby improve its profitability

and liquidity. Their performance,although improving, as per the Air-Score model they are in trouble

(< -0.095) but only by a slight margin. So the company can keep on improving and optimizing in

terms of their asset utilization so as to come out of this trouble state and move towards the healthy

state slowly and steadily.


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11.COMPARATIVE ANALYSISParticulars Kingfisher Airlines Jet Airways SpiceJet

Net Sales 5493.41 15224.68 3943.26

Net Profit -2328.01 -1179.51 -605.77

Net Working Capital 1504.54 -3621.85 -142.07

Return on Assets -25.63 -7.05 -30.74

Interest as a % of EBIT -58.82 158.492 -9.44%

Net Worth -5082.4 -539.45 -147.23

Reserves -6213.15 -625.78 -588.68

Z-Score 1.809 1.473 5.526

AIRSCORE -0.77074 -0.0852 -0.10024

Graph 7:Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Kingfisher net profit (loss) margin: 1QFY2010 to 3QFY2012

The losses in the quarter reflect not only issues at the individual carriers but some fundamental

and structural challenges in the Indian aviation sector. As previously noted, growth in the robust

domestic market has failed to translate into profits for India's airline industry. All the major

carriers are loss-making as a result of the impact of high jet fuel costs, compounded by heavy

taxation, inefficient infrastructure and an inability to raise fares in a highly competitive market.

In addition, rising debt levels and a depreciating rupee are placing further pressure on margins.

As a result, the nations airlines are seeing a sharp increase in their cost base at a time when

yield and unit revenue growth is pressured.


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Viability:There is a huge concern over Kingfishers ability to remain a Going Concern for which the

company would require to inject more funds, as the net worth of the company has been

eroded substantially. For Jet Airways the carrier needs to raise funds in order to meet its

obligations, fund the operations of loss-making JetLite and ensure the carrier continues as a

'going concern'. Also for SpiceJet too the networth has eroded however the airline noted an

increase in its net worth in the last quarter after its promoters infused funds into the carrier.

Revenues:Kingfisher Airlines reported a 5% decline in revenue in the quarter to USD314 million,

reflecting the carrier curtailing operations during the Dec-2011 quarter. Revenue moved in

the other direction for Jet Airways and SpiceJet, with revenue growth of 14% to INR39,869million (USD794 million) for Jet Airways and 42% to INR11,758 million (USD240 million) for

SpiceJet.

Operating Costs:SpiceJet reported the largest year-on-year increase in total operating costs, by 67% to

INR11,949 million (USD244 million). Jet Airways also reported double-digit operating costs

increases, of 34% to INR44,527 million (USD887 million).While Kingfisher Airlines reported a

lower increase in operating costs, of 7% to INR16,940 million (USD344 million), its unit costs

remained high at INR4.42/USD8.97 (+12%), and its staff and fuel costs remained higher than

its peers as a proportion of revenue.Kingfisher's employee expenses as a percentage of sales

increased from around 12% in Sep-2011 quarter to more than 13% in Dec-2012 quarter. On

the other hand, Jet Airways and SpiceJet saw the ratio of employee expenses to sales

reduce, from 13% to 11.4% for Jet Airways and from 11.4% to 9.7% for SpiceJet.

CAPA India estimated losses by Indian carriers, three months ended 30-Sep-2012Jet Airways: (USD45-60 million loss)

Kingfisher: (USD110-130 million loss)

SpiceJet: (USD25-28 million loss)

Thus Kingfishers ill-timed expansion and limited funding options have brought its operations to

a stand-still. Jet Airways and SpiceJet are also loss-making but are fundamentally more robust.
http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/jetlite-s2http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/spicejet-sghttp://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/spicejet-sghttp://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/jetlite-s2


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12.FINDINGS

Criteria Z-Score Air-Score

Airline In Distress Less than 1.81 Less than -0.095

Airline in Gray Zone 1.81 to 2.67 0.03 to -0.095

Airline is Healthy Greater than 2.67 Greater than 0.03

Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.According to the Z-Score model Kingfisher Airlines Ltd is predicted to have financial distress.

According to the Air-score model Kingfisher is in trouble with respect to solvency.

Bankruptcy Prediction Model Score Conclusion

Z-Score Model 1.809 Airline in Distress

Air-Score Model -0.77074 Airline in Distress

Jet Airways Ltd.According to the Z-Score model Jet Airways Ltd is predicted to have financial distress. According

to the Air-score model Jet Airways is neither healthy nor in trouble with respect to solvency.



Air-Score Model -0.0852 Airline in Gray Zone

SpiceJet Ltd.According to the Z-Score model SpiceJet Ltd is predicted to have financial distress. According to

the Air-score model SpiceJet is neither healthy nor in trouble with respect to solvency.



Air-Score Model -0.10024 Airline in Gray Zone


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13.RECOMMENDATIONS The company can deal the financial distress by disposing of real properties and may opt to sell

the property to pay the creditors so that working capital of the companies will improve. The

operating costs and other costs can be financed by such activity.

The companies can reframe the terms and condition with creditors to extend the credit periodand the new interest rate to save the company from bankruptcy.

The merger or strategic alliance can put the distressed company back in good financial position. The company can use its authorized capital by offering the stake to foreign companies, instead

of adding leverages into capital structure.

14.CONCLUSIONAltmans Z-score model is one of the most effective Multiple Discriminant Analysis, which

has been researched throughout the last 40 yearsand has been usedin various industries to

predict bankruptcy. Researchers have used Altmans Z score model in the service industry,

manufacturing industry, publically listed companies, and banks alike to predict if the business

will have a downfall. All the 3 revision of Altman equation has being used by different

authors in their studies, with constructive predictability. It can be safely said that Altmans Z

score Model can be applied to modern economy to predict distress and bankruptcy one, two &

three years in advance. Also an industry specific model, Air-Score model, bolstered the

prediction made by Z-Score model.

Finally we can infer that there are number of prediction models available for bankruptcy

prediction. It is possible forthe companies to reduce the rate of bankruptcy through the use of

such models by identifying and controllingthe variables that induce the financial failure. EBIT is

an important factor responsible for the solvencyposition of the company along with it the

retained profits and the utilization of capital overthe assets also have a key role to play. The rise

in the creditors and liabilities create pressure on thefinancial position as the interest paymentpulls down the overall profit margins. Hence more the earnings,better is the solvency position of

the companies.By applying these models various stakeholders can use these models to find out

how the company is performing so as to avoid further losses and also it could assist companies

in knowing in which direction they are headed if they are not performing well.

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