The Chipi Airport in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district will now have direct connectivity with Navi Mumbai after the state cabinet approved financial support for Fly91. The flights will operate between Chipi and Navi Mumbai instead of Mumbai Airport.
The Maharashtra government has approved 100% Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for the airline to operate on the route. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The Central government launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under the UDAN scheme to make air travel accessible to more people. The scheme is being implemented through an agreement between the central government, the Maharashtra Government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
The agreement covers airports in Amravati, Gondia, Nashik, Jalgaon, Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
Under the scheme, financial support is provided to airlines operating on selected routes. The Central Government contributes 80% of the Viability Gap Funding, while the state government provides the remaining 20%.
Fly91 had earlier received approval to operate flights on the Chipi-Mumbai-Chipi route. The airline could not secure a slot at Mumbai Airport within the stipulated period.
The government has now approved funding of ₹6,200 per seat for flights in both directions between Chipi and Navi Mumbai. The total expenditure on subsidies for the two routes is expected to be ₹16.74 crore for one year.
Fly91 to operate over 350 weekly flights
FLY91 is expanding its operations and will operate more than 350 flights every week across 14 destinations during the winter schedule. The airline has added Navi Mumbai to its network, making it the 14th destination it serves and its fifth in Maharashtra.
The airline currently operates six aircraft and plans to expand its fleet in the coming years. It has placed a firm order for 40 ATR 72-600 aircraft, which are scheduled to be delivered between 2027 and 2032. The airline plans to increase its fleet to 60 aircraft.
“Navi Mumbai is an important addition to FLY91’s network. It is our 14th destination and fifth in Maharashtra,” FLY91 founder, managing director and CEO Manoj Chacko said.
Navi Mumbai airport plans to handle 90 million passengers annually
Navi Mumbai International Airport has been designed to handle up to 90 million passengers every year once all its development phases are completed.
The airport will initially have the capacity to handle 20 million passengers annually. Its capacity is expected to increase as additional phases are completed. The airport is also designed to handle up to 500,000 metric tonnes of cargo every year.
