FLY91 buys two aircraft, fleet to grow to four as airline looks to ramp up weekly flights

Panaji: Goa-based airline FLY91, which currently operates around 100 flights per week, wants to scale up its operations to 150 weekly flights to cater to the busy rush during the summer. The airline, which operates out of the Manohar International Airport (MIA), purchased two ATR 72-600 aircraft, with one already joining operations, taking the fleet strength to three aircraft.

The regional airline completed its first year of operations in March and operated over 3,500 flights, carrying close to 1.7 lakh passengers. “The induction of our third ATR marks a significant milestone in our journey. More importantly, the decision to purchase two aircraft together is a deliberate move towards sustainable, dependable, and measured growth. As we expand, our focus remains on building an efficient and reliable network,” said Manoj Chacko, managing director and chief executive officer of FLY91.

The new aircraft will operate beyond the current UDAN 5.0 routes that connect Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, and Agatti with key hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Goa. Chacko said that the fleet expansion reinforces the airline’s strategy to focus on tier-2 and tier-3 city connectivity.

While the airline’s first two ATRs were leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, the new twin acquisition signals a strategic shift towards ownership and long-term fleet expansion. The airline’s long-term plan is to induct 30 aircraft into its fleet, which will be based at multiple hubs across the country.

The aim is to connect over 50 cities over the next five years, but not all routes have proved successful. The airline stopped operating on the Goa-Bengaluru sector as the demand was not sufficient. Surprisingly, the airline found the Jalgaon sector to be the most profitable.

This landmark twin purchase marks a significant milestone in India’s regional aviation sector and signifies FLY91’s commitment to measured growth and the potential of regional aviation in the country. The ATR 72-600 is a 72-seater aircraft known for its fuel efficiency and suitability for short runways that are found in tier-2 and tier-3 city airports, which is why FLY91 opted for this specific aircraft for its fleet.