India’s New Domestic Airline Fly91 to Launch Commercial Operations
Fly91, India‘s newest domestic airline, will begin commercial passenger flights starting March 18 to connect several Indian cities, according to Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The airline’s inaugural flight was flagged off by the minister between Goa, a tourist hub, and the Lakshadweep islands off the Kerala coast, WAM said in a statement.
Regular flights between Goa, Hyderabad and Bangalore will begin next Monday, with return flights also starting on the same day. Routes from the coastal town of Sindhudurg in Maharashtra to Bangalore and Hyderabad will begin next week as well.
Scindia hopes Fly91 will help meet the government’s goal to connect smaller tier 2 and 3 cities by air, as domestic passenger traffic is expected to rise to 300 million by 2030, compared to 60 million a decade ago.
The airline plans to add cities such as Pune, Jalgaon and Nanded to its network gradually. This could help ease seat pressure in several places, especially during holidays and peak tourist seasons.
India has witnessed the launch of six new regional carriers over the last 10 years due to growth in domestic aviation.
Most Fly91 flights will have a duration of 45 to 90 minutes for short haul routes.
