Fly 91, the newest player in India’s civil aviation sector, commenced its inaugural flight between Mopa in Goa and Agatti in Lakshadweep on Tuesday. Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually flagged off the maiden flight from New Delhi.
Announcing its plans, the airline revealed that it would commence commercial operations on March 18, with flights connecting Goa to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Reflecting on the growth in the aviation sector, Minister Scindia remarked, “For two decades, we only heard about airlines being closed, not only small but big airlines, international airlines. Today, six new airlines are there in the same country under the UDAN scheme. 18 routes have been awarded to them (FLY91) under the UDAN scheme. I would also like to wish all the best to their entire team. India’s civil aviation is now gaining new momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Fly91, presently operating two ATR 72-600 aircraft, aims to expand its fleet by adding six additional planes within the next six months.
Discussing future plans, Harsha Raghavan, the chairman of the regional airline, mentioned, “This is just the beginning, and we will focus more on tier 2-3 cities in the coming days.”
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for its support to the aviation sector, Fly91’s chairman, Harsha Raghavan, stated, “Today is a historic day for Fly91 as it takes flight first time with the hope to start many flights per day… our vision to connect all the airports in the country.”
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the Air Operation Certificate on March 6, enabling the airline to operate flights under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) and Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). The AOC is a mandatory authorization for an operator to conduct specified commercial air transport operations.
Fly91 is primarily targeting tier 2 and tier 3 towns across India for its operations.