The CEO of Indian startup Fly91 (IC, Goa Dabolim) continues to position his prospective airline as a last-mile carrier that will "co-exist" with other carriers, according to the Mint outlet.
Manoj Chacko confirmed talks were underway with potential interline partners during an interview. "We are in discussions with two domestic and three international airlines," he said. "International airlines are especially keen to look at aligning our network with theirs so they can connect to some of the cities we would potentially connect."
Chacko says of the two Indian carriers he is talking to, one is a low-cost airline and the other full service. The CEO has previously discussed his last-mile strategy. When announcing the startup earlier this year, Chacko said he plans to fly into smaller Indian cities, unserved or underserved by existing carriers, calling it a "clear opportunity." He says the tier two and tier three cities are where the growth prospects are in the country. "We are building an airline in such a way that we want to be the last mile carrier."
Fly91 is eyeing a launch in November but is yet to secure its air operator's certificate. However, in April, the airline did gain a no-objection certificate from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Chacko wants to start operations using two ATR72-600s, building to six within the first 12 months. He says Fly91 will focus on short-haul segments (60 to 90 minutes). Last month, the carrier secured ten routes under India's UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme, connecting tier-two cities with each other and with tier-one cities.
