Summary
- To gain public trust, it’s vital to keep aircraft running on schedule.
- ATR signed a maintenance agreement with FLY91 to optimize fleet performance and entry into service of ATR 72-600.
- Pratt & Whitney Canada also signed a maintenance agreement with FLY91 for PW127M engines on ATR 72 aircraft.
For all startup airlines, gaining the traveling public’s trust is an absolute must, and the quickest and most sustainable way to do that is to keep your aircraft in the air and running according to schedule. With a small fleet, limited cash and only one chance to make a good impression, new airlines are increasingly partnering with OEMs for maintenance support and quick access to spare parts.
A true partnership emerges
Today, leading turboprop manufacturer ATR announced it had signed a Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA) with Indian startup FLY91 to optimize the entry into service of its ATR 72-600 aircraft, registered VT-FIB and VT-FIC. FLY91 commenced operations on March 18, 2024, with an inaugural flight from Goa Manohar International Airport bound for Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
Photo: ATR I Joshi
From its headquarters in Goa, FLY91 aims to improve connectivity across India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. It has started with two ATR 72-600s and plans to grow the fleet to 30 aircraft connecting more than 50 cities in the next five years. Implementing that vision will mean flying to remote airports in challenging environments, so the ATR72 is an ideal choice for those routes, where durability and reliability will be paramount.
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Explained: The Different Variants That Make Up The ATR 72 Series
The aircraft’s popularity as a regional aircraft has led to passenger, military, and cargo versions.
Under the GMA, ATR will provide repair, overhaul and pooling services of line replaceable units (LRUs), propellor availability and repair services, and engineering and on-site support for FLY91’s ATR 72-600 fleet. The tailor-made pay-by-the-hour (PBH) contract is for an initial five years with a clear path for FLY91 to substantially increase its ATR fleet within the same timeframe, up to 30 aircraft.
ATR’s SVP Customer Support and Services Stefano Marazzani said that with more than 40 years of expertise, ATR is ideally placed to support FLY91’s ambitious development plans, sharing insightful data and best practices to ensure its fleet benefits from continuous high performance. He added that the GMA business model enables all parties to go the extra mile together.
” This means looking for optimisations wherever possible, anticipating and rationalising maintenance costs, striving for better spare parts availability and reliability, improving troubleshooting, advising on upgrades and providing on-site support with the aim to provide extra value.”
The engines are also covered
Given all the bad press around engines, particularly concerning durability in the harsher aviation environments in India and the Middle East, it’s not surprising that FLY91 has also signed a maintenance agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada. The ATR 72s are powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW127M engines that are now covered by a maintenance, repair and overhaul services agreement.
Photo: Tom Boon – Simple Flying
The PW100 engine family, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, powers 90% of all regional turboprop aircraft operating today in the 30-90 seat category. Turboprops using the PW100 engines consume 25% to 40% less fuel and avoid an equal measure of CO2 emissions than similar-sized jets on typical regional routes of 350 miles or less.
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ATR & Pratt & Whitney Collaborate On 100% SAF Engines
By 2025 ATR and Pratt & Whitney anticipate that the ATR 42 and 72 will have certification to use the PW127 engine running on 100% SAF.
The Pratt & Whitney Canada Customer Service network consists of 50 owned and designated facilities, supported by around 2,000 P&WC employees around the globe. FLY91 Managing Director and CEO Manoj Chacko said FLY91 is committed to reliable, sustainable and scalable air transportation services to build India’s regional connectivity,
“..and we strongly believe that our ATR aircraft powered by P&WC’s PW127M engines will help us achieve just that.”
As an example of their workload and why reliability is so essential, ATR 72 VY-FIB operated six flights on Tuesday this week, with flights from Goa (GOA) to Agatti (AGX); Agatti to Goa; Goa to Jalgaon (JLG), Jalgaon to Pune (PNG); Pune to Jalgaon; and Jalgaon to Goa. The day before, the second ATR72 registered VT-FIC operated eight sectors that started from Goa at 06:05 and ended there at 23:45.
Have you been on a FLY91 flight? Let us know in the comments.