FLY91 goes big on regional aviation with order for 40 ATR 72-600 aircraft

Regional airline FLY91 on Thursday placed an order for 40 ATR 72-600 turbo-prop aircraft in a deal valued at around $1 billion.

The order will pave the way for its fleet to expand to more than 60 aircraft over the coming years.

It is also the single largest order for ATR planes by a regional carrier globally.

The airline has operated more than 15,000 flights since launching operations and currently operates close to 280 weekly flights to 12 cities.

Its 13th destination is scheduled to be launched later this month.

The aircraft order was signed at Udaan Bhawan in New Delhi in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, ATR CEO Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR Chief Commercial Officer Alexis Vidal, FLY91 Founder, Managing Director and CEO Manoj Chacko, and FLY91 Chairman and Convergent Finance Managing Partner Harsha Raghavan.

"Regional connectivity is a fundamental pillar of India’s aviation growth story, and bridging smaller cities with major economic hubs remains a national priority," Naidu said.

He said the government's ₹28,840 crore investment under the newly announced UDAN 2.0 framework reflected its commitment to expanding regional air connectivity and bringing more tier-2 and tier-3 cities into the national economic mainstream.

"FLY91’s track record and its landmark fleet commitment reflects the confidence that India’s aviation sector continues to inspire," the minister said.

Chacko said the airline was set up with the aim of connecting emerging cities directly and efficiently.

"We have grown steadily and consistently since our launch, and this 40-aircraft order becomes the foundation for our next chapter," he said.

The ATR 72-600 is suited to regional operations as it offers fuel efficiency and can operate from shorter runways, making it suitable for connecting smaller cities.

ATR CEO Nathalie Tarnaud Laude said the expansion was in line with the Indian government's efforts to strengthen regional connectivity through UDAN.

FLY91 currently connects destinations including Pune, Sindhudurg, Solapur and Jalgaon in Maharashtra; Agatti in Lakshadweep; Hubballi in Karnataka; Tirupati, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, besides Bengaluru, Goa, Kochi and Hyderabad.

The airline has bases in Goa and Hyderabad.

Abhinandan Varthaman joins FLY91 as pilot

Former Indian Air Force Group Captain and Vir Chakra awardee Abhinandan Varthaman has joined FLY91 as a pilot, reported PTI, citing people familiar with the matter.

Varthaman, who was held captive in Pakistan for three days after an aerial combat in 2019, joined the airline in August, the report said.

Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra, India's third-highest wartime gallantry medal, for displaying an "exceptional sense of duty" during the 2019 aerial engagement, according to the award citation.