The highly competitive aviation sector of India is set to have yet another player soon.
Goa-based regional airline Fly91 has been granted an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, paving the way for it to begin commercial operations.
What is Air Operator Certificate
The AOC was issued after Fly91 successfully conducted proving flights as per the DGCA regulations.
As per DGCA’s Civil Aviation Policy CAP 3100, airlines “will be required to conduct a minimum of five flight sectors on intended routes, with a total duration of not less than 10 flight hours”.
Fly91 will be a regional carrier
Unlike other major carriers in India including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet,and Akasa Air, Fly91 will function as a regional carrier, operating under the code IC, and aims to serve as a catalyst for connectivity, bridging the gap between smaller towns and major urban centers across India.
Fly91 fleet
Fly91 recently welcomed its first ATR 72-600, one of the two aircraft leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, to its fleet.
These aircraft will be stationed at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa in Goa, making Fly91 the first Indian airline to utilize Goa as its home base.
Fly91 routes
With its eyes set on enhancing connectivity across India’s tier 2 and tier 3 towns, Fly91 has been allocated its first set of routes under the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN.
These routes, allotted under UDAN 5.0, will witness Fly91 connecting cities like Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Nanded in Maharashtra, and Agatti in Lakshadweep, alongside other prominent business and leisure destinations such as Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Who own Fly91
Fly91 is the brainchild of Kerala-based Businessman Manoj Chacko, who started his career in aviation with the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
According to him, the airline’s name is inspired by India’s country code (91).
“We are extremely thankful to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA for their direction, proactive support, and efficiency throughout the AOC process. We now look forward to commencing the sale of tickets leading to the start of commercial operations soon,” Chacko said.
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