Regional connectivity fillip: Fly91 launches direct flights from Tirupati to Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Rajahmundry
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Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday flagged off Fly91’s inaugural flight from Tirupati, which landed at Vijayawada airport and received a ceremonial water-cannon salute, marking the launch of the airline’s Tirupati-Vijayawada-Tirupati service and taking its network to 13 destinations.
The regional airline has also introduced direct services connecting Tirupati with Hyderabad and Rajahmundry, making the temple town its third destination in Andhra Pradesh. With the latest expansion, Fly91 now serves four destinations across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
“Tirupati is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in our country and thousands of devotees from across the country visit the city every day. The direct connectivity provided by Fly91 to Vijayawada, Rajahmundry and Hyderabad will offer faster and more convenient travel options for devotees,” said Naidu in a press release from the Airlines.
The new services connect Tirupati, a major pilgrimage and educational centre, with three important regional cities, offering additional travel options for pilgrims, students, business travellers and tourists.
How many services will Fly91 offer?
Fly91 will operate a daily service between Tirupati and Hyderabad. The Tirupati-Vijayawada service will run four days a week -- Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays -- while the Tirupati-Rajahmundry service will operate three days a week -- Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Naidu also said efforts were being made to establish a direct air connectivity between Tirupati and international destinations such as Kuwait to make travel easier for devotees coming from different parts of the world.
Fly91 Founder, Managing Director and CEO Manoj Chacko said the addition of Tirupati would strengthen the airline’s network in Andhra Pradesh and improve direct connectivity between important regional centres.
“Tirupati is an important addition to our network and takes us another step forward in strengthening regional connectivity across Andhra Pradesh. Connecting Tirupati directly with Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry will make travel between these regional centres easier,” said Chacko.
He said regional aviation was aimed at creating practical air links to meet the everyday travel requirements of communities served by the airline.
Tirupati is among India’s major pilgrimage destinations, with millions of devotees visiting the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirumala every year. The city is also an important centre for education, culture, tourism and commerce in Andhra Pradesh.
The Hyderabad connection will give passengers travelling to and from Tirupati access to one of South India’s major metropolitan centres and its wider domestic and international air network.
With Tirupati added to its network, Fly91 now operates services to 13 destinations - Goa (Manohar International Airport, Mopa), Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Solapur, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Agatti in Lakshadweep, Kochi, Hubballi, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Tirupati