Goa-based airline FLY91, received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation has confirmed.
The grant of the AOC is the final step of a rigorous process laid down by the DGCA and marks the completion of all regulatory and compliance requirements for the airline to begin its commercial operations.
As part of the AOC process, FLY91 successfully conducted proving flights under the supervision of the country’s aviation regulator. “This is a significant milestone for each and every member of FLY91 and I wish to place on record the commitment, dedication, meticulous planning and exemplary collaboration that ensured that we achieved this milestone in record time,” said MD and CEO of FLY91, Manoj Chacko.
FLY91 received its first ATR 72-600, one of the two aircrafts leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise last week. The aircraft flew in from Hyderabad to be part of the regional airline’s fleet, which will be based out of the Manohar International Airport, Mopa in Goa
Commenting further on the significant milestone, Chacko said, “We are extremely thankful to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA for their direction, proactive support and efficiency throughout the AOC process. We now look forward to commencing the sale of tickets leading to the start of commercial operations soon.
The airline has already been allocated its first set of routes under the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN.
The routes allotted under UDAN 5.0 will see FLY91 connect the cities of Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Nanded in Maharashtra and Agatti in Lakshadweep, along with other business and leisure destinations, namely Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad and Pune. The regional airline whose code is IC aims to be a catalyst for connectivity across India’s tier 2 and tier 3 markets.
