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Goa-based regional airline FLY91 took to the skies on Monday. The airline currently has two ATR 72-600, with four more expected in the coming months. The new start-up regional airline was given an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 6 this year
The AOC paves the way for an airline to start operations as it signifies that it meets stringent safety norms. The start-up operated its maiden flight to Sindhudurg from Bengaluru on Monday. The airline will also operate to Hyderabad.
The airline is the brainchild of Manoj Chacko, an Indian aviation veteran who has held senior management positions at Emirates and Kingfisher.
The airline has been allocated its first routes under the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). The routes include Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Nanded in Maharashtra, and Agatti in Lakshadweep, along with other business and leisure destinations, including Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, and Pune.
The airline initially offers flights between Goa, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Sindhudurg, with plans to start operations in Agatti, Jalgaon, and Pune in April. The airline will fly between Goa and Bengaluru on Monday, Friday, and Saturday. A similar number of flights will be operated per week between Bengaluru and Sindhudurg. The airline will also fly between Goa and Hyderabad and between Sindhudurg and Hyderabad twice a week.
Commenting on the launch, Manoj Chacko, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FLY91, said the airline understands that Indian travelers deserve good travel experiences. “That’s why FLY91 has been built from the ground up with a focus on comfort and efficient service,” said Chacko.
It remains to be seen whether the new regional carrier will be a success or not. India has a long history of regional airlines starting and then folding up. In South India, Paramount Airways, a regional airline, started services in 2005 and ceased operations in 2010.
Commenting on the new airline’s launch, Satyendra Pandey, Managing Managing Partner of Aairavat Technology & Transport Ventures Private Ltd, said that the airline is taking to the Indian skies where regional airlines’ success stories are found wanting
“For the airline to fly its way towards sustainable returns on capital, several factors have to align. The launch is with 2 ATR 72-600 aircraft that have previously flown in the Indian skies for two separate operators. For now, initial route economics will be cushioned by the UDAN (RCS) scheme, and the choice of Goa as a central base should also help with demand dynamics,” he said.
However, Pandey cautioned that the intensity of competition at a network level, including from competing modes of transport, cannot be underestimated. “Whether FLY91 will create a compelling proposition while also delivering on costs remains to be seen,” he said.
