Indian regional airline FLY91 has ordered 40 ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft, the airline and manufacturer announced in New Delhi. The agreement is valued at approximately $1 billion, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2032.

The deal represents ATR’s largest firm order in almost a decade and the largest single order ever placed by a regional airline. It brings ATR’s 2026 order intake to 54 aircraft, already surpassing the manufacturer’s total net orders for the whole of 2025.

FLY91 launched commercial operations less than three years ago and currently operates a fleet of six aircraft. Over the next five years, the airline plans to expand its fleet to 60 aircraft, with the latest ATR order forming one of the main pillars of its planned growth.

The airline focuses on connecting India’s smaller and medium-sized cities, particularly destinations that often lack adequate direct air services to major economic centres. The ATR 72-600 was selected for its operating economics on short regional routes, lower fuel consumption and ability to support affordable airfares.

“FLY91 was built on a singular conviction: India needs a focused regional network that connects emerging cities directly and efficiently. We have grown deliberately and consistently since our inception, and this 40-aircraft order is the catalyst for our next phase of expansion,” said FLY91 founder and CEO Manoj Chacko.

FLY91 Chairman and Convergent Finance Managing Partner Harsha Raghavan described the order as a major milestone for the airline, providing a platform for the implementation of its long-term plans. He added that regional connectivity would be an important enabler of India’s next phase of economic development.

The order was also welcomed by India’s Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who emphasised that connecting smaller cities with major economic centres remains a national priority. According to the minister, investments in regional capacity will play an important role in the implementation of the UDAN 2.0 programme and in bringing more Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities into the country’s economic mainstream.

ATR Chief Executive Officer Nathalie Tarnaud Laude said FLY91’s expansion aligned with the Indian government’s efforts to provide affordable and reliable air transport to underserved communities. She added that the operating characteristics of the ATR 72-600 allow airlines to maintain lower fares on regional routes.

According to ATR’s Mobility Monitor, approximately 4.6 billion intercity journeys are made in India annually, but only around 3% are currently made by air. The manufacturer estimates that the continued expansion of regional connectivity could make air travel accessible to as many as 35 million additional passengers.

FLY91, officially registered as Just Udo Aviation Private Limited, is headquartered in Goa. The airline currently operates more than 280 weekly flights to 13 destinations, including Pune, Sindhudurg, Solapur, Jalgaon, Agatti, Hubballi, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Bengaluru, Goa, Kochi and Hyderabad.