Regional airline FLY91 is set to begin its commercial flights on March 18. The Goa-based airline currently operates two aircraft and aims to break even within two years. It plans to have around 350 staff at the end of the first year of operations. FLY91 is also set to receive Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN. The airline will offer weekly flights between Goa’s Manohar International Airport and Bengaluru and Hyderabad. It will also provide connectivity between Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Bengaluru and Hyderabad. FLY91 plans to expand its services to Agatti, Pune, Jalgaon, and Nanded in the future.
FLY91’s Managing Director and CEO, Manoj Chacko, mentioned that the airline does not need to raise funds at the moment due to the expected VGF. Chacko states that FLY91 expects to break even within 18-24 months and aims to build a profitable, sustainable, and scalable business.
Chacko also mentioned that FLY91 has studied successful and failed airlines to understand the factors that led to their success and failure. By learning from successful airlines and avoiding the mistakes made by failed airlines, FLY91 aims to create a successful operation.
The airline currently has a staff strength of around 200, which will increase to about 350-360 by the end of the first year of operations. Chacko mentioned that the new hires will be necessary to support the addition of four more aircraft and the opening of three new stations.
FLY91 received its air operator permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 6.
