Malayali-owned airline orders 40 new aircraft worth Rs 9,400 crore

KOCHI: Fly91 Airlines, which operates low-cost domestic services, began operations in 2024. The airline recently drew attention in the aviation sector after Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the fighter pilot who became a national icon, joined Fly91 as a pilot. Now, the airline has made headlines again by placing an order for 40 new aircraft in a single deal. The achievement of Fly91, owned by Malayali entrepreneur Manoj Chacko, has also become a matter of pride for Kerala.

The company is investing Rs 9,400 crore to purchase the 40 aircraft from ATR, the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer. Fly91 will lease another six to eight aircraft before the new planes are delivered. However, the company has not set a specific timeline for adding all 40 aircraft to its fleet.

The order comprises 40 aircraft, each with a seating capacity of 70 passengers. It is the largest ATR order placed by a regional airline in the world. The deal comes nine years after IndiGo placed an order for 50 ATR aircraft in 2017, marking another major ATR deal from India.

Fly91, which began operations in early 2024, currently operates 280 flights a week to 12 destinations. Its network connects cities including Pune, Sindhudurg, Solapur and Jalgaon in Maharashtra; Agatti in Lakshadweep; Hubballi in Karnataka; and Tirupati, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh with Bengaluru, Goa, Kochi and Hyderabad.

The airline is owned by Manoj Chacko, whose family has roots in Kunnamkulam in Thrissur. Chacko has more than three decades of experience in the aviation sector and previously served as Executive Vice President of Kingfisher Airlines. Fly91 operates under the Central government's 'UDAN' scheme, which aims to connect smaller cities and towns across India through affordable air services. The number 91 in the airline's name refers to India's telephone country code.