India’s newest scheduled commuter airline, FLY91, has flagged off its operations with a special flight between Goa and Agatti in the Lakshadweep islands. The airline, which prides itself on providing last-mile connectivity, announced the sale of tickets to four towns in its initial phase.
The airline's commercial operations are set to commence on March 18, with the first commercial flight scheduled to depart from Goa’s Manohar International Airport, Mopa to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. FLY91 will also operate a flight between Bengaluru and Sindudurg on the same day.
To mark this significant milestone, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, virtually flagged off a symbolic flight from Goa’s Manohar International Airport.
Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, extended his best wishes to the entire FLY91 team and was present to flag off the first flight. The event was also graced by the presence of Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik, Tourism Minister, Government of Goa Rohan Khaunte, Hon MP Rajya Sabha, Sadanand Tanavade, and other dignitaries.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FLY91, Manoj Chacko, expressed the airline's commitment to providing accessible, safe, and reliable air travel, stating, "Today marks a major milestone for FLY91 in our effort to make air travel more accessible as part of our vision for Bharat Unbound. We reiterate our commitment to our customers that FLY91 is aligned with the goal towards offering last mile connectivity and making air travel in India accessible, safe and reliable. We aim to be part of India’s ongoing economic transformation by creating robust regional connectivity which is crucial to economic growth."
Chacko, a veteran of the travel industry, has previously held senior leadership roles at prominent organizations such as Emirates Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, American Express, SOTC, and WNS.
The airline has opened bookings for ticket sales of its first commercial flights. In the inaugural phase, FLY91 will offer weekly flights between Goa’s Manohar International Airport and Bengaluru and Hyderabad, as well as connectivity between Sindhudurg to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Subsequently, FLY91 will introduce flights to Agatti, Pune, Jalgaon, and Nanded.
Commenting on the flight sales, Chacko expressed the airline's excitement to offer last mile connectivity with a focus on unserved and underserved routes, stating, "FLY91 is extremely delighted to be able to offer our flights for sale. We are excited to offer last mile connectivity with a focus on unserved and underserved routes to fliers in the country. Our customers can be assured of a reliable and dependable service and we look forward to welcoming passengers on our flights."
Bookings for flights on FLY91 will be available on the website www.fly91.in as well as through travel agents across the country, both offline and online.
FLY91 received its Air Operator Permit (AOP) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation on March 6, after successfully completing the rigorous regulatory compliances. The airline also successfully conducted its proving flight under the DGCA’s supervision to demonstrate its operational readiness.
The airline received its first ATR 72-600, one of the two aircraft leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise in the first week of February 29. The aircraft flew in from Hyderabad to become part of the regional airline’s fleet, which will be based out of the Manohar International Airport, Mopa.
FLY91 has been allocated its first set of routes under the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN. The routes include Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Nanded in Maharashtra and Agatti in Lakshadweep, along with other business and leisure destinations, namely Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, and Pune.
