FLY91 inducts two new ATR 72-600 aircraft into fleet

Mumbai, Feb 25 (PTI) Regional air carrier FLY91 on Wednesday said it has inducted two new ATR 72-600 aircraft into its fleet, bringing the total number of aircraft to six.

The latest two aircraft acquired from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) will be deployed across underserved, emerging regional destinations in India, the Goa-headquartered airline said.

FLY91 is the most recent entrant in the domestic aviation space, having started commercial flight operations in March 2024.

"This milestone reinforces our commitment to building India's most dependable regional airline while deepening collaboration with leading institutions in the UAE," said Manoj Chacko, Founder, Managing Director and CEO of FLY91 at the induction of two new aircraft, which took place at a formal ceremony held recently at Dubai World Central (DWC).

This marks another measured step in the airlines' expansion strategy, Chako said, and added, "As we expand, our focus remains on disciplined and sustainable growth, ensuring that every aircraft enhances connectivity and reliability..

"The induction reflects the airline's structured approach to scaling operations. FLY91 was built on the belief that regional connectivity in India requires long-term commitment, financial discipline and strong institutional partnerships. This addition reinforces that approach as we continue to expand in a calibrated manner," said Harsha Raghavan, Chairman of FLY91 and Managing Partner at Convergent Finance.

FLY91 currently operates to nine destinations across India, including Mopa (Goa), Agatti, Solapur, Jalgaon, Sindhudurg, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, connecting emerging regional centres.

As part of its continued structured and sustained regional growth strategy, the airline plans to expand to six additional destinations -- Rajahmundry and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, Hubballi in Karnataka, Nanded in Maharashtra, Dabolim in South Goa and Indore in Madhya Pradesh by next month.

Stating that India is entering a strong phase of aviation growth, with regional connectivity playing a vital role, Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, CEO of ATR, said, "his partnership also highlights the strength of Indo-French cooperation in aviation, with Dubai continuing to serve as an important global hub for collaboration and industry development." PTI IAS RAM MR