India's Fly91 targets mid-1Q24 launch

Indian startup Fly91 is targeting a February 2024 start date with flights connecting Jalgaon to Pune, Goa, and Hyderabad under the UDAN-5.0 scheme. India-based media outlets are reporting on a meeting held this week between Fly91 and Pune local government officials to discuss the launch and first routes. Fly91 is a joint venture between Indian airline executive Manoj Chacko and Mumbai-based private equity firm Convergent Finance. Chacko is best known as the former Executive Vice President (Commercial) of now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Chacko has said he intends to commence operations with two ATR72-600s, growing to six within the first 12 months. "The airline has plans to start operations from Jalgaon in February," Jalgaon local government officials told media after the meeting. "They are in the process of getting all the required permissions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other relevant authorities." Fly91 secured its no objection certificate from the DGCA earlier this year but has yet to secure an air operator's certificate. The Indian government's Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik subsidised scheme aims to improve connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country. The government has released subsidies to operate specific routes with specific sized aircraft throughout various stages of the scheme. <br/>