The growing number of millionaires in India has prompted Jet Airways to introduce first-class cabins on its Heathrow services.
The Indian carrier launched its first-class product this week on Heathrow-Mumbai flights, along with enhanced business and economy cabins.
The fully flat beds in business class are laid out herring-bone style, giving every passenger aisle access – a configuration similar to that adopted first by Virgin Atlantic and then British Airways.
But it is the first-class cabin comprising eight bedroom suites, each offering 26 sq ft of personal space, which may attract most attention – particularly as Jet’s UK and Ireland general manager Sarah Built conceded first-class demand from the UK is small.
Built said: “A lot of airlines are debating whether to keep first-class cabins. But India is booming and there is huge potential out of the country, with such a huge number of wealthy Indians.
“The market will be more challenging from the UK, where people don’t know Jet as a first-class product. We have to persuade them to try it.”
She predicted the suites would be sold out in Jet’s home market.
“Initially, we will be looking to sell two suites per flight from the UK, but ultimately we need to contribute equally from the UK and India,” she said.
Built rejected any criticism of the first-class suites on environmental grounds.
“We are introducing state-of-the-art aircraft that reduce the environmental impact and, as a business, trying to find the right balance between meeting demand and playing a role in sustainability,” she said.
“I find it a bit rich when those in developed nations lecture developing nations. Everyone has a responsibility and people in India understand that.”
First-class fares between Heathrow and Mumbai will start from £4,421 including taxes.
Business-class fares start from £2,262 and economy fares from £367.