We spoke to Kimberley Long, vice-president sales and agency distribution, for details.
“Hahn Air is a global company, we work in 190 countries in the world, so when we say we are international, we mean it in the true sense of the word. We work with more than 350 airlines,” Long tells TTN in an exclusive interview.
Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai, Flynas, Gulf Air, Saudia and Qatar Airways are some of the GCC carriers that Hahn Air works with globally.
“The market feeds on what we're offering them. So, if we bring in new airlines into our portfolio and if the market needs those airlines, then it works. Let's say a certain market, like Dubai or the UAE. We have airlines that we work with here that are also in the BSP, but they also prefer to work with us because on the whole context of the world and they can sell their tickets in addition. We extend the reach of airlines. Some airlines, for instance, maybe not being in the BSP or are unable to invest in marketing and personnel, we are able to get them to more markets.”
Hahn Air provides ticketing solutions for over 100,000 travel agencies in 190 markets around the world.
“We’re making it possible for every Iata travel agency to have a portfolio of 350 airlines.”
In the Middle East, there are some countries where Hahn Air offers all 350 of its airlines, while some more mature markets may have a portfolio of only 250 airlines, “as more airlines are in the BSP and they have their core partners, their travel agencies that they work with and that’s when they ask us, please don't sell there.”
Apart from offering a wider choice of airlines to choose from, including a number of LCCs such as SpiceJet, Hahn Air also offers the convenience of one ticket.
“The end consumer may want to fly with different airlines, with Hahn Air, we can provide one ticket, which means that should one of the airlines have any delays, they can fly seamless. The other reason to have a Hahn Air ticket is for a travel agency to be safe in case of airline insolvency.”
Hahn Air provides free insolvency-insurance Securtix for every HR-169 ticket. “This is something we've sold in the last 20 years, over 38 million tickets. If an airline goes bust after the beginning of a traveller’s journey, travel agents can contact our service desk, which is available 24 x 7 for our them, and we would take over from there to ensure that the refund takes place and a certain portion of the ticket is also covered, should they have to choose a higher fare with another airline.”
Within the Middle East, Hahn Air works very strongly with the Middle East, which is a good sign for the German-headquartered global airline. “It has been and continues to be a really very good market for us, that's continually grown. We're very grateful for this business also because it's not, let's say, as reachable.”
Hahn Air has a market coverage of 80 per cent across the GCC. Of the over 1,700 Iata agencies in the region, they work with over 1,300 of them (excluding Qatar).
These impressive numbers speak for themselves but it is heartening to know that not all important figures in the Hahn Air offices point towards profit.
“Hahn Air is a company of 300 employees, there is tangible unity and loyalty to the company, with over 30 nationalities speaking 36 different languages, with the official languages of English and German.
“It is still a privately owned company, and it’s not just about business. We try to give back to our community any way we can. We have a sports park very close to our office, we have a football team, and summer camps for children.
“We also have a Hahn Air Foundation that is involved in 19 different charities around the world, something that I am personally very proud of. Its focus is on children and women, schools have been built and even if for a short period of time, we have been able to improve the quality of lives for people around the world. We have recently built two schools in Myanmar, where about 300 students from ages 5 to 12, have been enrolled,” says Long.
“This is obviously aside from the day to day workings of the business but it is a nice thing to reflect on, that although we are not directly involved, we are doing good as well.”