Kohijo Intercontinental Air

Kohijo Intercontinental Air is a major airline company in ViZion. The airline is based in His City, the capital of the State of Astyria, one of the most populous and prosperous regions in ViZion. Kohijo Intercontinental Air has a long history of serving the domestic market, but has struggled to compete with other airlines in the international arena.

History and Rankings

Kohijo Intercontinental Air was founded in 1956, as a joint venture between the Kohijo Group, a conglomerate of businesses in Astyria, and the Intercontinental Corporation, a global aviation company. The airline initially operated flights within Astyria, but soon expanded to other parts of ViZion, such as Central America, South America, Africa, ViZion Island, and Coulter Bay. The airline also launched a few international routes to neighboring countries, such as Jarridia and the Blackhelm Confederacy.

For decades, Kohijo Intercontinental Air has been consistently ranked among the top six airlines in ViZion, based on passenger traffic, revenue, and market share. However, its position has fluctuated between third and sixth place over the years, depending on the economic conditions, consumer preferences, and competitive pressures. Currently, it is the fifth largest legacy carrier in ViZion, behind ViZionair, Imperial Isles Airways, Hishan Air Lines, and West-East Airways. These four airlines have surpassed Kohijo Intercontinental Air in terms of network size, fleet modernization, product quality, and customer satisfaction.

Network and Alliances

One of the main challenges that Kohijo Intercontinental Air faces is its extremely limited international network. The airline focuses mainly on domestic flights within ViZion’s five main continents and two island states, which account for over 95% of its operations. The airline only flies to a handful of international destinations, mostly in nearby countries that have strong ties with ViZion. The airline has not ventured into other regions due to the lack of demand, resources, and partnerships.

Another factor that has hampered the airline’s growth is its lack of membership in any of the major airline alliances, such as Sky Alliance, Blueworld, Global Air Alliance, or Clear Skies Airways. These alliances allow airlines to cooperate and coordinate with each other, offering benefits such as code-sharing, frequent flyer programs, lounge access, and joint marketing. Kohijo Intercontinental Air has remained independent, preferring to operate on its own terms and avoid the fees and regulations that come with joining an alliance. However, this has also limited its ability to expand its network, attract more customers, and leverage economies of scale.

Reputation and Performance

Kohijo Intercontinental Air is known for its good fares, offering affordable and competitive prices for its domestic and regional flights. The airline also has a loyal customer base, especially in Astyria, where it has a strong brand recognition and presence. The airline prides itself on its safety record, having no major accidents or incidents in its recent history.

However, the airline’s reputation has suffered recently, due to its aging fleet, less than stellar hard product, limited global network and worst customer service of its direct competitors. The airline operates a mix of old and new aircraft, some of which are over 40 years old and require frequent maintenance and repairs. The airline’s product, such as seats, entertainment, food, and amenities, is also outdated and inferior to those of other airlines, especially in the premium classes. The airline’s customer service, such as check-in, boarding, baggage handling, and in-flight service, is also rated poorly by passengers, who complain about the lack of professionalism, courtesy, and responsiveness of the staff.

The airline’s performance has also declined in recent years, as it has faced increasing competition from other airlines, both domestic and international. The airline has lost market share, revenue, and profitability, as it has failed to keep up with the changing needs and expectations of the customers. The airline has also faced regulatory and environmental challenges, such as rising fuel costs, taxes, fees, and emissions standards, which have increased its operating expenses and reduced its margins.

Future Plans and Prospects

In an attempt to turn around the situation, the airline has hired a new CEO, Tom Wihelmsen, who was formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Eastward Airways before its merger with Western World Airlines to form West-East Airways. Wihelmsen is expected to bring a change in vision and goals for the struggling airline and revamp its image and performance.

Wihelmsen has announced a series of initiatives and strategies to improve the airline’s situation, such as:

• Renewing and upgrading the fleet, by retiring the old and inefficient aircraft and acquiring new and more fuel-efficient ones such as Ocline Airlines newest products.
• Enhancing and standardizing the product, by introducing new and improved seats, entertainment, food, and amenities, across all classes and routes, to offer a consistent and high-quality experience to the customers. The airline will also overhaul its hard product, with all new economy and a strong focus on its premium product. The airline will shift over 50% of the airplanes footprint to its all-new Premium Economy, Business Class, and First Class Suites. The latter of which will replace its dilapidated first class seats, and will be strictly on its larger aircraft for long-distance flights.
• Improving and training the customer service, by hiring more and better qualified staff, providing them with regular and rigorous training, and rewarding them for their performance and feedback.
• Expanding and diversifying the network, by launching new and more frequent flights to existing and new destinations, both domestic and international, especially in the high-demand and high-potential markets, such as Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
• Joining and collaborating with an alliance, by seeking and securing a membership in one of the major airline alliances to benefit from the cooperation and coordination with other airlines, and to offer more options and advantages to the customers.
• Re-imagining and modernizing the airport lounges, by renovating and upgrading the existing lounges and opening new ones in key locations, to provide a comfortable and relaxing environment for the customers, with access to various facilities and services, such as Wi-Fi, showers, snacks, drinks, and entertainment.
• Revamping and renaming the mileage program, by changing the name from InterMiles to Kohijo Rewards, and introducing new and attractive features and benefits, such as easier earning and redeeming of miles, more partner airlines and hotels, more tiers and statuses, and more perks and privileges, such as upgrades, priority boarding, and lounge access.

Wihelmsen hopes that these measures will help the airline to regain its competitive edge, increase its customer satisfaction, and restore its financial health. He also hopes that the airline will be able to achieve its vision of becoming the leading airline in ViZion and beyond.