Fly regional, Fly91

MANOJ CHACKO, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, FLY91, is gung-ho about the prospects of his regional airline. With years of Aviation (he has held senior roles at Emirates, American Express, SOTC and WNS), His expertise spans business development, operations and customer service, with a track record of driving growth in competitive markets.

- MANOJ CHACKO1

Based in Goa, Manoj Chacko has positioned FLY91 as a catalyst for regional economic development, leveraging local talent and resources. With a focus on operational efficiency and market expansion, he continues to shape India's regional aviation landscape. Fly91 has so far, they have gone as per plan, and this year has been no different. An exclusive interview

FLY91's objective is to enhance air connectivity from tier 2 and tier 3 towns across India. How successful have you been in this endeavour?

FLY91, India’s only pure-play regional airline, marked its first anniversary in March 2025. Headquartered in Goa and operating out of Manohar International Airport, FLY91 connects underserved tier 2 and tier 3 destinations with quiet efficiency. In its first year, the airline operated over 3,500 flights and carried nearly 1.7 lakh passengers across seven destinations: Goa, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Jalgaon, Sindhudurg and Agatti in Lakshadweep. We started operations with one ATR 72-600 aircraft. In the course of the year, FLY91 became the first regional airline in India to simultaneously purchase two ATR 72-600 aircraft in a one-of-a-kind order. FLY91’s fleet currently comprises four ATR 72-600 aircraft, a significant enhancement in the fleet size in one year for a regional airline.

Your initial routes were part of the UDAN scheme. How many of these routes are you flying at the moment, and what is your plan for the next 12 months?