Pure play regional airline FLY91 on April 10 commenced operations on its Hyderabad–Rajahmundry-Hyderabad and Hyderabad–Vijayawada-Hyderabad sectors, with Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation virtually inaugurating the airline’s first flight from Vijayawada Airport to Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. 

Starting off with daily flights, the airline will ramp the frequency up to double daily services on 17 April on both routes. The inaugural flights marked the rollout of services connecting the key tier-2 cities with Hyderabad, strengthening regional air connectivity across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and southern India, aligned with the airline’s vision of ‘Connecting Bharat’.

Ahead of the maiden departures, FLY91’s ATR 72-600 aircrafts received ceremonial water cannon salutes at the respective airports, signalling the start of operations on both sectors. The first set of passengers on the inaugural flights, were felicitated with commemorative boarding passes to mark the occasion. 

The inauguration was attended by Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Kollu Ravindra, Minister for Mines, Geology and Excise in the Government of Andhra Pradesh, M. Lakshmikantha Reddy, Airport Director at Vijayawada Airport , and Ashutosh Chitnis, FLY91 Chief Revenue Officer, among other dignitaries. 

Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation complimented FLY91 for the success it has achieved in the first two years of its operations and credited the pure play airline for serving as a supporting pillar in the central ministry’s UDAN scheme, citing the airline’s strong regional network across tier two and tier three domestic destinations. 

“FLY91 is doing wonderfully, not only focusing on metro areas but also trying to connect the remote areas and the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities of the country. And it is the confidence these airlines have shown in the Government of India that we have extended our Udan scheme for the next 10 years,” Naidu said, adding that the central government’s mission is to increase the existing 165 airports in the country to 350 by 2047.

The addition of the two destinations, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry, is expected to improve access to key commercial, industrial and educational centres, while offering passengers more reliable, safe and convenient travel options within the region. FLY91 will be doubling its scale of operations in Hyderabad while focusing this growth strategy in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions. 

Bookings for flights on these sectors are open across all channels, including the airline’s website and travel partners.

Commenting on the launch of services, Manoj Chacko, Managing Director and CEO, FLY91, said, “The commencement of services on the Hyderabad–Rajahmundry and Hyderabad–Vijayawada sectors marks another step in strengthening regional connectivity. These routes are designed to offer reliable, trustworthy, safe and convenient travel options, while supporting the growing demand for air travel across emerging regional markets.”

As part of this phase of expansion, FLY91 has also introduced Smartbag91, a pre-book excess baggage offering designed for the needs of travellers with a need for excess baggage. The product allows passengers to pre-book additional baggage in line with global airline norms, simplifying the travel experience.

Earlier this year, FLY91 began daily services on the Kochi–Agatti route, improving access to Lakshadweep.