New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday inaugurated Fly91, a regional airline scheduled to operate its commercial flights from March 18.

The maiden flight between Manohar International Airport (MOPA), Goa and Agatti Islands, Lakshadweep, was also flagged off today, said an official statement.

“Earlier in our country, airlines’ closure and bankruptcy used to be the news. In the past 10 years, the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought a new dawn to this industry which resulted in the birth of six new regional airlines,” the Civil Aviation Minister said in a statement.

Scindia also highlighted the multidimensional growth of civil aviation in the country.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to connecting tier 2 and tier 3 cities through the UDAN scheme, he said, “The aviation industry is expecting to raise its domestic traffic to 30 crores by 2030 which was just 6 crores in 2014.”

Meanwhile, the airline informed that its schedule flights will commence effective from 18 March 2024, between Manohar International Airport, Goa and Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jalgaon, Agatti, Pune, Nanded and from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune to Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Nanded and Goa, in a phased manner.

These new connections will fulfill the demand for enhanced connectivity across the nation and increase the accessibility of different regions.

This will not only enhance tourism but also promote trade and commerce and give strength to the government’s commitment to offering an affordable, on-time, safe, and hassle-free travel experience to the passengers, it said.

(With UNI inputs)