Financial expediency makes room for strange bedfellows. So even as arch rivals Jet Airways and Kingfisher engineered a prickly embrace, the former made the conscionable decision to reinstate the 850 employees it had axed. All in all, a Bollywood potboiler.

Betrayals, refusals and one stunning betrothal rendered this past month the quintessential Bollywood potboiler of the Indian civil aviation industry. Howls of protests greeted Jet Airways’ incredulous move to dismiss 850 employees all in the span of 24 hours. The accompanying media frenzy—what with newspapers and news channels screaming the hurt and humiliation of the traumatised lot who took to the streets with a vehemence that seemed strangely at odds with their polished bearings—caught the airlines unawares. Ducking for cover, the management made the conscionable decision to take them back.

Dust had barely settled down after the furore, when another development left industry pundits gaping with astonishment. Competitors and arch rivals, Jet Airways and Kingfisher formed what was touted as an operational alliance. The unlikely betrothal appeared to be the fallout of the government’s refusal to grant a $1 billion (Rs 5,000 crore) bailout on the ground that the taxpayer’s money could not be expended to cleaning up the mess that was largely the making of reckless business strategies adopted by private airlines.

Denied a lifeline, the two airlines, choking on staggering losses, did the next best thing: kiss to keep afloat. Financial expediency incredibly makes room for strange bedfellows. In-Focus, Forum and LastWord delve deep into the swirling undercurrents of debate, deliberation and dilemma facing private airlines that cannot hope to survive without the prerequisite of sound professional management and financial prudence.

Business aviation, on the other hand, appears to be weathering the prevailing economic storm and managing to stay afloat simply by charging actual costs instead of cut-rate fares. While confusion about the true potential of business aviation persists, most operators are upbeat about this sunrise sector. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation expects that by 2020, as many as 1,500 corporate aircraft would be crisscrossing the Indian skies. Rising costs are unlikely to dampen the party.

Ample evidence of the upbeat business aviation industry was to be found at the 61st National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) meeting and convention. At the event, Gulfstream announced its latest aircraft, the G250. Not to be left behind, Hawker Beechcraft unwrapped the Hawker 450XP and the King Air 350i. Aside from new aircraft programme announcements, NBAA also played host to several ownership changes.

Back home, too, the mood was perceptibly buoyant among manufacturers of business jets participating in India Aviation 2008. Showcasing the attributes and strength of the civil aviation sector, the four-day air show was the first international exhibition of its kind in India. In all, there were around 200 exhibitors, large and small, from 18 different countries participating in the show. The list of companies included leading civil aircraft manufacturers of the world. Turn the pages to catch all the action as also in-depth analyses of a range of significant issues defining civil and military operations.