AVGEEK
What it takes to build a regional airline
Manoj Chacko on FLY91, fleet choices and the work of connecting smaller cities.
The conversation
Episode #14 features the Founder CEO of FLY91, Manoj Chacko, talking about how his time at Kingfisher Airlines led to the initial thought for the regional airline, his business plan, their conversations with bigger airlines, their fleet choice, how they built their network, the role of technology in their operations, if the American regional airline model can work in India, Pilots, myths around ATRs and building the brand.
Manoj Chacko - @FLY91_IN
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra
Key Takeaways
- FLY91 was conceived as a last-mile transport link, not a smaller version of a national network carrier. Chacko’s distribution proposition was to carry passengers arriving by larger airlines or other transport modes, making connections and distribution partners part of the model.
- The case for ATR turboprops was route-specific: thinner demand, shorter sectors and local operating charges. Chacko’s argument should not be read as a universal economic or performance advantage over jets.
- A repeatable regional-base structure was intended to simplify scheduling, crews and expansion. Bringing crews back through the base supported standardisation; the fleet and base-growth numbers discussed were plans at recording, not completed expansion.
- Technology can simplify a process rather than merely put it online. Chacko’s ticketing, check-in and automation examples sought fewer manual steps and simpler passenger flows; those intended benefits are not independently measured productivity gains.
- Virtual interlining through aggregators and open APIs can make connections discoverable. A displayed itinerary is not evidence of a signed codeshare or formal airline partnership, and arrangements still under discussion should remain labelled as such.
- Regional airlines compete for suitable airport infrastructure as well as passengers. Chacko described slot difficulties and advocated power-in, power-out bays as practical support for regional operations and quick turnarounds, rather than assuming any available stand is equally suitable.
- Pilot retention is partly an operating-model decision. Training investment and competitive pay were paired with a return-to-base lifestyle; Chacko did not assume that every pilot’s preference was to leave for a larger aircraft.
Editorial analysis
Last-mile flying is a network proposition
Manoj Chacko frames FLY91 as a transport business focused on the last mile. The ambition is to connect smaller places without requiring every traveller to begin the journey on FLY91: passengers might arrive through another airline or another mode of transport. That makes coexistence central to the proposition. His account of the idea’s origins draws on Kingfisher’s regional operation, but the new airline’s case rests on a deliberately narrower operating model rather than recreating a large network carrier.
Aircraft gauge shapes the operating model
Aircraft choice and network design follow from that discipline. Chacko describes the ATR as suited to thinner demand and shorter sectors, with a gauge that avoids needing to fill a large jet on every departure. His commercial case also considers Indian airport charges and fuel costs. Those advantages depend on matching the aircraft to the task, rather than assuming a turboprop will win on every route. The proposed base structure is similarly specific: repeated groups of aircraft serving nearby cities, with flying patterns that bring crews back to base rather than adding overnight positioning complexity.
Technology as operational simplification
Technology is presented as process design rather than a collection of expensive systems. Chacko describes automated check-in, compact boarding documents, bots and remote implementation of the passenger-service system as ways to simplify the business. Open interfaces could also let other transport providers connect with FLY91. He distinguishes the connections already displayed by travel aggregators from wider discussions with potential partners. A future capacity relationship with a larger airline is an expectation about how the market might evolve, not an announced contract.
The infrastructure and labour constraints
The interview also exposes tensions that a regional proposition cannot solve alone. Smaller aircraft do not automatically receive better slots at congested airports, and Chacko argues for stand layouts that allow regional aircraft to operate more efficiently. Pilot recruitment combines training, experienced aviators and a lifestyle proposition built around returning home. On route support, he links exclusivity and limited competing aircraft access with pricing opportunities, while acknowledging constraints associated with government funding. His larger lesson is that regional connectivity needs compatible decisions across gauge, crew, infrastructure and distribution; a map of underserved towns is only the starting point.
Questions & answers
What gap was FLY91 trying to address?
Chacko describes regional aviation as last-mile connectivity: smaller cities become accessible as part of a larger journey, including connections to other transport providers.
Why choose an ATR rather than a larger jet?
The aircraft can match thinner, shorter sectors without requiring a large number of passengers per flight. The economics still depend on the route, charges and utilisation.
How is the airline intended to keep operations simple?
Chacko proposes repeated operating bases, crews returning home where practical, and passenger processes designed around automation rather than complexity.
Does a virtual connection mean two airlines have an agreement?
No. Travel aggregators may display combinations while direct partnerships remain under discussion; the interview distinguishes the two.
Which constraints remain outside a regional airline’s control?
Airport slots, stand design, access to suitable facilities and the wider pilot market can all undermine an otherwise credible network plan.
Sources & attribution
Original conversation: The Indian AvGeek — Episode 14. Published 03 November 2024.
Historical context: This is an editorial analysis of a conversation recorded and released in November 2024. Guest assessments, future plans, regulatory proposals and commercial claims reflect that historical discussion and are not presented as current, independently verified developments.
Editorial method: Questions and answers are carefully edited explanatory paraphrases—not verbatim interview quotations. Commentary, figures and claims requiring updated verification should be checked against the recording and contemporaneous official sources before final public release.