Mumbai, Sept. 3 -- The announcement comes as the Government of India injects Rs.288.4 billion into regional connectivity under the newly announced UDAN 2.0 framework.
In a significant development for India's civil aviation sector, pure-play regional carrier FLY91 has signed a firm order for 40 ATR 72-600 aircraft, marking the largest ATR order globally by a regional airline. Valued at approximately $1 billion, the deal is expected to be a defining milestone for regional aviation in India, widely described as the world's fastest-growing major aviation market.
From its current fleet of six ATR 72-600 aircraft, the Goa-headquartered airline is now poised for exponential expansion to more than 60 aircraft over the coming years. The landmark order will provide the scale to build a much larger regional network and connect more unserved and underserved cities across the country.
The announcement comes as the Government of India gives fresh impetus to regional connectivity through the newly announced UDAN 2.0 regional connectivity framework.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said at the signing ceremony in New Delhi on Thursday, "The Government's Rs.288.4 billion investment under the UDAN 2.0 framework reflects our strong commitment to expanding regional air connectivity and bringing more Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities into the national economic mainstream. FLY91's track record and its landmark fleet commitment reflect the confidence that India's aviation sector continues to inspire, and investments of this scale in regional capacity will play a vital role in translating this vision into reality."
Manoj Chacko, Founder, Managing Director and CEO, FLY91, added, "FLY91 was built on a singular conviction that India needs a dedicated regional airline focused on connecting emerging cities directly and efficiently. We have grown steadily and consistently since our launch, and this 40-aircraft order becomes the foundation for our next chapter."
Indian scheduled carriers now have around 1,800 aircraft on order, including FLY91's latest order.
ATR Expansion in India
The order further strengthens ATR's presence in India, with the ATR 72-600 seen as the ideal aircraft for regional operations due to its fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and ability to operate effectively from shorter runways.
Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, CEO, ATR, stated, "We are incredibly proud that FLY91 has chosen ATR to support this new phase of its development. This expansion aligns closely with the Indian Government's ambition to strengthen regional connectivity through UDAN, bringing affordable and reliable air transport to underserved communities."
Harsha Raghavan, Chairman, FLY91 and Managing Partner, Convergent Finance, added, "As a founding partner of FLY91 and its lead investor, we have believed from the outset in the convergence of two powerful opportunities: India's growth story and the potential of regional aviation. We believe regional connectivity will be a critical enabler of India's next phase of growth, linking emerging economic centres, businesses and communities across the country."
Since commencing commercial operations in March 2024, FLY91 has operated more than 15,000 flights and currently runs close to 280 weekly flights across 12 destinations. Its 13th destination is scheduled to commence later this month.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Infrastructure Today.