Fly91 - Bharat Unbound

Honestly, I never thought flying to be as easy as dialing a phone number.

Here is a company that makes flying not just simpler but stylish too. With its unique livery and a brand new ATR arriving in India to commence operations soon, startup airline Fly91 is all determined to connect Bharat in an all new way.

It is quite fascinating to see where they have positioned their headquarter - Goa. For someone who is looking to startup an airline the obvious location would be the metros like Mumbai, Delhi etc. But Fly91.in probably has the DNA of thinking different and decided to garrison their headquarter in not just a Tier-II city but in India's one of the most travelled tourist destination - Goa.

With pristine beaches and resorts, night clubs and the headquarter of Indian Navy's aviation branch (Headquarter Naval Aviation), Goa is all set to welcome a home-grown airline that has uniqueness and style part of its very birth. Led by a legendary team of experts from the field under the able leadership of someone like Manoj Chacko , Fly91 is definitely an airline to look for. Though we may call it a startup airline, the basement has been laid strong with a vibrant team working on their new committment to the nation's air fleet and the rising demand for air travel in the country.

While......

Jet Airways hasn't been able to come out its slumber; Air India Limited is working hard to become a better Maharaja and take some market share; IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) is probably too relaxed to feel any heat from its competitors that is actually leading to issues like AOG and customer dissatisfaction; SpiceJet Limited is fighting hard to maintain its glory by infusing additional investments; GoAir is almost defunct and struggling hard to get back (probably due to Govt's push); Finally, Akasa Air is very determined to grab its rightful sahre in the market by offering excellent services. It is right on our part as customers and aviation enthusiasts to see our demand being met by the existing players and also giving the opportunity to a new player in town for a great debut.

There is no doubt that the demand for air travel in India isn't going down any sooner while its not really sky rocketting having a steady growth YoY. As a proud Indian, I honestly wish to see all my airliners (I mean airliners of India) reach great heights in the coming decades and wish no operator is bankrupt or out of business (though that's very hard in a capital intensive business like this).

Fly91.in has indeed been very pragmatic in its approach to building the team and the airline right since its beginning and getting the NOC from DGCA in the second quarter last year. The team and the people of Fly91, whom I keep following regularly in professional platforms like LinkedIn , seem to be very determined and knowledgeable in their business. What gives this airline the sweet spot? They intend to connect the tier-2 and tier-3 cities and that is probably the need of the hour with the Govt of India's long term vision for the Indian aviation industry. This intention of the Govt can be clearly seen from the Ministry of Civil Aviation's constant push and support to the entire industry, including the MRO space. Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia has indeed put his heart and soul for this by urging the regulator to be more of a facilitator.

All said and done, this new Bharat Unbound operator is truly going to be a great success and we would be the witness to it. I am 100% sure that Fly91.in is going to takeoff in style sooner than expected and I am looking forward to flying with them to Goa for my next vacation with family.

Here's wishing Manoj Chacko & team Fly91.in heartiest congratulations for their aircraft arrival and test flight and success in this wonderful adventure of yours.