Archive · 12 Sep 2026
FLY91 Founder Builds Regional Airline From Goa After Kingfisher
Manoj Chacko started FLY91 when he was 52 years old.
He got the idea after Kingfisher shut down.
At Kingfisher, he learned that airplanes should spend more time flying than sitting on the ground.
He also learned that airlines need to look after their customers.
Kingfisher had used ATR aircraft on routes between places such as Hubballi, Mysuru and Kolhapur.
Those routes did not make much money, but they cost less to operate.
Chacko thought a smaller airline focused only on regional routes could work.
FLY91 was created to run this kind of airline from Goa with fewer traditional big-airline costs.
Manoj Chacko became an entrepreneur at age 52 by founding FLY91.
The idea for FLY91 emerged after Kingfisher shut down.
Chacko drew on Kingfisher lessons about aircraft utilisation and customer care.
He believed ATR aircraft could support a lower-cost regional airline network.
FLY91 was conceived as a pure-play regional airline operating from Goa without the overheads of a large airline.
- Who
- Manoj Chacko, founder of FLY91.
- What
- The creation of FLY91 as a pure-play regional airline.
- When
- Chacko became an entrepreneur at 52; the idea was developed after Kingfisher shut down.
- Where
- The airline is being run from Goa, with a regional network including Hubballi, Mysuru and Kolhapur.
- Why
- Chacko believed a regional airline using ATR aircraft could operate at lower cost and avoid the traditional overheads of a large airline.
- Founder
- Manoj Chacko
- Airline
- FLY91
- Base
- Goa
- Business model
- Pure-play regional airline
- Aircraft mentioned
- ATR aircraft
- Operating lesson
- Planes need to fly rather than sit idle
- Name inspiration
- India’s ISD code