FLY91 orders 40 ATR 72-600s in $1 billion fleet expansion

Indian regional carrier FLY91 has placed a firm order for 40 ATR 72-600 aircraft valued at approximately USD 1 billion, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2032.

ATR described the agreement as its largest firm order in almost a decade and the biggest ever placed by a regional airline. It raises the manufacturer’s 2026 order intake to 54 aircraft, already exceeding its net orders for the whole of 2025.

FLY91 plans to expand from six aircraft to 60 over the next five years, suggesting that further leased or separately acquired aircraft will complement the 40 directly ordered from ATR.

The Goa-based airline intends to use the turboprops to develop connections between India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. It currently operates more than 280 weekly flights to 13 destinations, including Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, Tirupati, Vijayawada and Agatti.

FLY91 said the ATR 72-600’s fuel efficiency and operating economics would allow it to offer affordable fares on relatively short regional routes. The expansion also supports the Indian government’s UDAN regional-connectivity programme, including its forthcoming second phase.

According to ATR, India records approximately 4.6 billion intercity journeys annually, but only around 3% are made by air. The manufacturer estimates that continued regional-network development could support as many as 35 million additional air passengers.