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FlyBig News -- Part 1

 
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747-237
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 8:25 pm    Post subject: FlyBig News -- Part 1 Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/94676-indias-flybig-hopes-to-team-up-with-revived-jet-airways

FlyBig hopes to team up with revived Jet Airways

31.08.2020

FlyBig (Indore) founder and pilot-turned-entrepreneur Sanjay Mandavia is planning to pair the start-up regional carrier with a revived Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai Int'l) if his bid for the latter is successful, Moneycontrol has reported.

Mandavia is bidding for Jets' remaining assets in a consortium with UK-based Kalrock Capital Partners and fellow businessman Murari Lal Jalan. He plans to revive the defunct carrier on trunk routes, while FlyBig would feed into the network from smaller markets, including many government-subsidised UDAN routes.

The deadline for the selection of investors for Jet Airways was recently postponed beyond August 21 due to the ongoing pandemic.

However, COVID-19 is not throwing FlyBig off its course. The regional specialist hopes to conclude its certification with India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in time for a planned October 2020 launch, Chief Executive Srinivas Rao said.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline has revised its launch schedule from the originally planned April 2020 date but sees no reason to delay it beyond 2020. Rao said that FlyBig, which will operate out of Indore in central India, has already secured one Avions de Transport Régional turboprop, which is awaiting delivery next month.

The airline's first ATR72-500 will be VT-FBB (msn 688), a 18.3-year-old ex-VASCO - Vietnam Air Services unit currently undergoing maintenance at Ho Chi Minh City.

FlyBig said it would be looking for further ATRs in Australia. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, twelve ex-Virgin Australia ATR72-600s are currently stored in Australia and New Zealand, including nine owned by Avation and three by Chorus Aviation Capital. The pool of passenger ATRs in Australia also includes one ATR42-300 and three ATR72-500s operated by Hevilift Australia (Brisbane Int'l).

FlyBig plans to launch with two ATR turboprops but foresees growth to around 20.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Horrible timing to start an airline now. Even during good times, most operators are not successful. Only TruJet is still operational, and even they are struggling.

All the slots are gone, aircraft gone and Jet airways is finished except for some paper work, no point in reviving it.
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2020 1:06 am    Post subject: Re: FlyBig News -- Part 1 Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/94676-indias-flybig-hopes-to-team-up-with-revived-jet-airways

FlyBig hopes to team up with revived Jet Airways

31.08.2020

FlyBig (Indore) founder and pilot-turned-entrepreneur Sanjay Mandavia is planning to pair the start-up regional carrier with a revived Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai Int'l) if his bid for the latter is successful, Moneycontrol has reported.


FlyBig plans to launch with two ATR turboprops but foresees growth to around 20.


Reviving Jet Airways huh?

He is yet to start operations - with 2 ATRs, and is already dreaming of flying 777s all over the world.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Wonder where such examples are born and bred??
(Sounds better in Hindi: Na jaane kahan se paida hoke aate hain?)
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

FlyBig has taken delivery of it's first aircraft todday, an ATR72-200, as VT-FBA.
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
FlyBig has taken delivery of it's first aircraft todday, an ATR72-200, as VT-FBA.


I give them two months.
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 7:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/106070-indias-flybig-seeks-new-investor

India's flybig seeks new investor

26.07.2021

flybig (S9, Indore) hopes to onboard a new investor soon to raise INR1 billion rupee (USD13.4 million) as it struggles to stay afloat, founder and managing director Sanjay Mandavia has told Indian newspaper, The Hindu Business Line.

It reports the airline has been facing severe headwinds as it has been unable to secure funding during the past six months, following its launch in January 2021. Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper reported the carrier had deferred salary payments and the induction of more aircraft, while several executives have left.

ch-aviation was unable to reach Mandavia for comment, but sources close to the airline said the airline was facing "serious financial issues" with some executives not having been paid for two months, with 50% of deferred salary arrears pending from April 2020. The sources, who asked not to be named, claimed taxes had also not been paid. "They are looking for financiers but don't have one as of date," they said.

Research revealed that Chief Executive Officer Srinivas Rao left the airline in June 2021 to become a self-employed aviation consultant, while Chief Financial Officer Rajarshi Sen had already left in April 2021 to assume the position of senior vice president at Vman Aviation Services, according to their LinkedIn profiles. However, according to advertisements placed on LinkedIn three weeks ago, the airline is urgently seeking to hire customer service and cargo employees.

The airline currently leases one ATR72-500, VT-FBA (msn 0955), from Airframe Leasing (S) Pte Ltd, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. According to Flightradar24 ADS-B data, the aircraft is currently flying city-pair routes between Kolkata Int'l and Guwahati, Agartala and Dibrugarh, Pasighat and Guwahati, and Agartala and Guwahati. According to local news reports, it started operating the Agartala sector on June 25 under the Indian government’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme. A flybig flight to Rupsi on June 26 was also reflected on social media by the airport operator. Meanwhile, The Shillong Times, quoting a flybig official, on July 19 reported the carrier was expected to resume services on the Shillong-Delhi Int'l route.

Business Line reported that Mandavia had launched flybig in January after he had lost out on a bid to acquire Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai Int'l) under that airline’s insolvency process. At the time of the launch, Mandavia had planned to induct at least five aircraft this year for services under the UDAN scheme, the newspaper said.

As previously reported, flybig had been in talks with Hindustan Aeronautics (Bangalore HAL) to buy four 19-seater Do228s.

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This airline will soon bite the dust.

Why are so many new airlines still trying to start or expand during this period ?
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

iah87 wrote:
This airline will soon bite the dust.

Why are so many new airlines still trying to start or expand during this period ?


Because their promoters have too much of the dirty stuff to launder. An airline provides a great opportunity to do some serious laundering.

Once they are done laundering, they start looking for 'investors', and its 'here we go around the mulberry bush' again. If they can't find any, they'll simply shut shop.

What assets does this so-called airline have? Maybe a couple of Suzuki WagonRs and Bajaj Tempos, not much else. The ATR is leased and dosen't belong to the airline. They don't have any maintenance or training infrastructure, and possibly no pricey real estate either. Why would any investor put serious money into a business that has no net realisable asset worth?

Which is why I think that this sale-lease-leaseback arrangement is a bad business model for anyone wishing to build an investable airline. Business-school grads here can correct me if I am wrong.

The value of owned assets can be seen in what happened with Jet Airways. Even though they went bust with huge loans on their head, they had serious assets by way of owned aircraft. Even an aircraft sold for spares is worth a few tens of million dollars USD. So they had no problem finding an investor. If the going gets tough, the assets can be sold and (at least some of ) the investment recovered.

Which is also why I think that the Indian airline that would be most attractive to any investor is Air India.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/110885-meghalaya-state-govt-demands-answers-from-indias-flybig

Meghalaya state gov't demands answers from India's flybig

21.12.2021

The government of the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya has signalled its intention to take action against flybig (S9, Indore) if suitable reasons are not provided for its failure so far to provide air services between its capital Shillong and Delhi Int'l, local media reported.

The airline, which received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation one year ago with the intention of making subsidised Delhi-Shillong its inaugural route - which it launched in January - has not operated the flights since September.

Conrad Sangma, the state’s chief minister, criticised the organisers of the route for poor planning and issued a show cause notice to flybig over the non-provision of the service, according to Meghalaya News.

The airline, which has been trying to secure funding for much of this year, currently leases one ATR72-500, VT-FBA (msn 0955), from Avation unit Airframe Leasing (S) Pte Ltd, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows. Flightradar24 ADS-B data reveals that the aircraft is currently flying city-pair routes between Kolkata Int'l and Guwahati, Agartala and Dibrugarh, Pasighat and Guwahati, and Agartala and Guwahati.

“We have already given a show cause notice to them and obviously we are very concerned about the whole thing. I have really been wanting this to take place. We will decide in the next few days how to move forward,” Meghalaya News quoted Sangma as saying.

The contract reportedly stipulates that the Shillong route must be operated with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. The operator had been intending to source such a turboprop from SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int'l) but the larger carrier had refused to extend the agreement, resulting in the route grinding to a halt, the chief minister explained.

Manish Koul, a director at flybig, told The Shillong Times earlier this month that the carrier was in ongoing talks with the management of SpiceJet over the lease of a Q400. SpiceJet currently operates thirty-two DHC-8-Q400s, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.

flybig and SpiceJet were not immediately available for comment.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/112701-indias-flybig-eyes-atr72-600s-dash-8-wet-lease

flybig eyes ATR72-600s; Dash 8 wet-lease

16.02.2022

flybig (S9, Indore) is to induct two ATR72-600s by March-end and is also planning to wet-lease a DHC-8-Q400 soon, an unnamed source at the airline has told India’s BusinessLine newspaper.

The Avions de Transport Régional turboprops are identified as VT-TMC (msn 1364) and VT-TMT (msn 1385). According to the source, they are being leased from Indian lessor Vman Aviation Services based in Gujarat Gift City, which reportedly has subleased them from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Ltd.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, both aircraft are owned and managed by DAE Capital and were operated by TruJet (2T, Hyderabad Int'l) since 2016 and 2018 respectively. VT-TMC is currently in maintenance at Hyderabad Int'l, while VT-TMT is stored at the same airport. flybig already flies one ATR72-500, VT-FBA (msn 955), owned by Avation.

The carrier was founded in December 2020 by pilot-turned-entrepreneur Sanjay Mandavia, who planned to induct at least 24 aircraft and establish the carrier on the Indian government’s subsidised UDAN regional connectivity routes, of which it was awarded 15. According to Flightradar24 ADS-B data, it is currently serving Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Lilabari, Agartala, Pasighat, and Kolkata Int'l.

In August last year, the airline told BusinessLine it had secured a strategic investor. However, the newspaper now reports the company is experiencing a cash crunch and has no investors on board, but remains in conversation with possible suitors.

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 11:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/112701-indias-flybig-eyes-atr72-600s-dash-8-wet-lease



In August last year, the airline told BusinessLine it had secured a strategic investor. However, the newspaper now reports the company is experiencing a cash crunch and has no investors on board, but remains in conversation with possible suitors.


It never seizes to amaze me that in India, entrepreneurs are willing to risk in the highly competitive, highly regulated and least rewarding business.

Almost all airlines have lost money consistently and only Indigo has made money most of the years it has been in service. It is no surprise that FlyBig is experiencing a cash crunch.

TruJet is in the same boat, although there is a report stating that it has a potential investor, who is willing to lose his money (pun intended). Confused Confused
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iah87 wrote:
747-237 wrote:
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/112701-indias-flybig-eyes-atr72-600s-dash-8-wet-lease



In August last year, the airline told BusinessLine it had secured a strategic investor. However, the newspaper now reports the company is experiencing a cash crunch and has no investors on board, but remains in conversation with possible suitors.


It never seizes to amaze me that in India, entrepreneurs are willing to risk in the highly competitive, highly regulated and least rewarding business.

Almost all airlines have lost money consistently and only Indigo has made money most of the years it has been in service. It is no surprise that FlyBig is experiencing a cash crunch.

TruJet is in the same boat, although there is a report stating that it has a potential investor, who is willing to lose his money (pun intended). Confused Confused


It is only natural that they will experience a cash crunch once all the dirty stuff has been laundered.

So it's mission accomplished for now and they can shut shop. They'll come back into operation under a different name once enough laundry accumulates.

Wash, rinse, repeat.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2022 6:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/113286-indias-flybig-looks-to-rapidly-expand-fleet

Flybig looks to rapidly expand fleet

09.03.2022

flybig (S9, Indore) is in talks with lessors to acquire as many as 36 more aircraft as demand for domestic travel in India surges, with potential in particular seen in the country’s more remote regions, an unnamed spokesperson for the Indian regional carrier has told the news website Smart Aviation Asia-Pacific.

Travel within India is resuming strongly as the market recovers from the pandemic, and Flybig’s board of directors has reportedly authorised the sourcing of more aircraft to meet demand to add to its current fleet of two Avions de Transport Régional turboprops.

The airline can see a great deal of demand for travel from areas under the Indian government’s UDAN regional airport development programme, “especially in the tier-two and tier-three markets where the remote regions are,” the spokesperson said. “We see this as an opportunity to grow our presence strategically and organically. We are looking to [gradually] get 36 aircraft to fulfil this increase in capacity and are currently in talks with different lessors.”

However, the spokesperson declined to give a timeframe for the fleet ramp-up or reveal the aircraft types being searched for.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Flybig currently operates one ATR72-500 leased from Avation and one ATR72-600, the latter being the first of two -600s which a source at the carrier said last month were expected to arrive by April. The pair are being leased from DAE Capital via Indian lessor Vman Aviation Services based in Gujarat Gift City. That source said Flybig was also planning to wet-lease a DHC-8-Q400.

Smart Aviation Asia-Pacific’s source claimed that the newly delivered turboprop would serve a new UDAN route commencing this month linking Gondia in central India with the metropolis of Hyderabad Int'l. Separate reports said that Gondia would also be connected to Indore. The second ATR 72-600 will be used on UDAN routes in northeast India.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/113912-indias-flybig-signs-loi-for-55-twin-otter-400s

flybig signs LOI for 5+5 Twin Otter-400s

24.03.2022

flybig (S9, Indore) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada covering five firm-ordered DHC-6-400s with options for five more.

The Indian regional specialist plans to use the Viking Air Twin Otters for its thinnest routes operated under the government-run UDAN/RCS route subsidization scheme.

"In conjunction with the UDAN initiative, the Indian Government's recently released policy to assist in serving small and remote communities, flybig's goal is to provide connectivity to communities that were not previously accessible by air. De Havilland Canada’s Twin Otter Series 400 is the right aircraft for our operations because of its proven record for safe, reliable operations and its versatility - including the capability to land on land or water," Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Mandavia said.

No delivery dates were disclosed.

flybig certified in late 2020 and launched operations in January 2021. Its current fleet comprises one ATR72-500 and one ATR72-600, with one more -600 due to deliver shortly. The carrier recently outlined plans to rapidly expand its fleet as regional demand recovers after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2022 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/115129-indias-flybig-eyes-atr-fleet-expansion

flybig eyes ATR fleet expansion

04.05.2022

flybig (S9, Indore) has wet-leased a DHC-8-Q400 from Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa) for direct flights between Delhi Int'l and Shillong from May 2, a source close to the Ethiopian airline has confirmed to ch-aviation.

The wet-leased Dash-8-Q400 will operate twice-weekly rotations on the route, with plans for another of the type to be added on dry-lease, Managing Director Sanjay Mandavia told The Times of India.

He said the Indian regional carrier plans to expand its fleet to ten undisclosed Avions de Transport Régional aircraft by March 2023.

In addition, Mandavia said, the airline has secured an investor in India’s RDB Group - one of the leading real estate companies in Eastern India – and has ordered ten DHC-6-400s for flights between tier-three and tier-four cities in the country.

flybig's current fleet totals one ATR72-500 leased from Avation and one ATR72-600 leased from DAE Capital, ch-aviation fleets advanced data shows.

As reported, in March 2022, a flybig spokesperson said the airline was talking to lessors to acquire as many as 36 more aircraft to meet surging demand for domestic travel in India, with particular potential for routes under India's UDAN regional airport development programme in more remote regions.

The company received a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) on December 14, 2020. It began operations with a single ATR72-500.

Before it began scheduled flights, it won its first route under a government tender to serve Shillong from Delhi. The flights commenced on December 21, 2020, and to fulfil its obligations, the airline wet-leased a Q400 from SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int'l) at the time.

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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2022 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/121752-indias-flybig-eyes-green-twin-otter-400s

flybig eyes green Twin Otter -400s

flybig (S9, Indore) has signed an agreement with UK-based MONTE Aircraft Leasing Limited for financing and leasing solutions for converting its fleet to zero-emission propulsion technologies.

In addition, MONTE will lease two DHC-6-400s to flybig to be deployed on India's government-subsidised UDAN regional connectivity scheme routes in the northern Indian states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, the parties announced in a statement.

The regional specialist earlier this year signed a letter of intent with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC, Toronto Downsview) for five firm orders of DHC-6-400s with options for five more for use on its thinnest routes operated under the UDAN scheme. It was also reportedly expanding its ATR fleet to ten undisclosed units by March 2023.

Zero-emission propulsion technologies to be explored with MONTE include electric, hybrid, and hydrogen propulsion. "MONTE will not only assist flybig to identify the most suitable zero-emission propulsion technology for their operations but will also offer financing for the conversion of its fleet once this technology is approved and certified," explained MONTE Investment Director Timothy Eyre. The company is focused on supporting the aviation industry's transition to net zero carbon emissions by providing financing and leasing solutions for low and zero-emission technologies to regional aircraft operators. It aims to become the first carbon-neutral aircraft leasing company by 2027.

flybig Chief Executive Officer Saanjay Mandavia said the agreement was part of the airline's recently launched "#GoGreen" initiative to reduce its carbon footprint. "This initiative will not only revolutionise air travel in India but also reduce the cost of flying with flybig," he added.

From its main hub at Guwahati, flybig operates point-to-point services on 13 routes to eight cities in India with a fleet of three Avions de Transport Régional aircraft: One ATR72-500 leased from Avation and two ATR72-600s leased from DAE Capital, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module. Destinations include Tezu, Pasighat, Rupsi, Agartala, Dibrugarh, Kolkata Int'l, Patna, and Imphal.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 8:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/128785-indias-flybig-signs-for-210-dhc-6s

flybig signs for 2+10 DHC-6s

19.06.2023

flybig has placed a firm order with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada for two DHC-6-400s and signed a Letter of Intent for another up to ten newly announced DHC-6-300-G aircraft during the ongoing 2023 Paris Air Show.

"Twin Otters are the perfect aircraft for India's UDAN regional airport development program, part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) for improving underserviced air routes and connecting Tier 2 and Tier 3 communities. Our two -400 aircraft will help realise our Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to connect India's hinterland, and we are looking forward to working with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada on potential future acquisitions of the new Classic 300-Gs," Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Mandavia said. "With the addition of this new aircraft the DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300-G, looking ahead we are excited to announce our plans for further expansion of our services now to North India by offering connectivity to Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. Our plans include adding Dehra Dun, Pithorgarh, Pantnagar, Hindon, Ludhiana, and Bathinda to our network."

The Indian regional specialist will become the first operator of the DHC-6-400 in India. The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that its fleet currently comprises one ATR72-500 and two ATR72-600s. The carrier recently secured an undisclosed strategic investment from Florida-based Royal Bengal Holding Inc.

The only current operator of Twin Otters in India is Saarthi Airways (Delhi International), which operates a single -300 on behalf of the Geological Survey of India (Kolkata).

flybig signed a Letter of Intent for five firm DHC-6-400 orders and five options in 2022. The deal has not been finalised. flybig did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment if the new commitment would replace last year's LOI.

The DHC-6-300-G is a newly announced variant of the Twin Otter with updated avionics, redesigned cabin interior, increased payload and range, and other improvements.

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/134270-indias-flybig-suspends-flights-as-lessors-repo-planes

flybig suspends flights as lessors repo planes

17.11.2023

Lessors are moving to reclaim their aircraft from flybig (FLG, Indore) after the regional carrier suspended its flights earlier this month. The airline only began operations three years ago and concentrated on connecting second-tier Indian cities, serving routes secured through the Indian government's UDAN regional aviation improvement scheme.

flybig was operating one ATR72-500, two ATR72-600s, and two DHC-6-400s. In October, the airline returned the ATR72-500 (VT-FBA (msn 955)) to Avation by mutual agreement' having not used it for revenue flights since late August. flybig told Indian news outlets that the flight suspensions have occurred because their remaining aircraft went out of service for maintenance purposes.

“flybig would like to emphasize that current events are a result of our decision to surrender the ATR - Avions de Transport Régional aircraft due to the aircraft’s technical issues,” flybig Chief Financial Officer Gokul Indani told the Hindu Business Line. He added that supply chain issues and difficulties securing spare parts had affected the fleet's operational efficiency, caused cancellations, and added to costs.

"The decision to surrender the ATR aircraft was made due to a global shortage of spare parts, which has extensively affected the operational efficiency of our fleet, leading to increased costs and delays. This has forced us to pause our operations in certain sectors, including the Northeast. We remain operational in Hindon-Bathinda and other routes," a spokesman told ch-aviation in an emailed statement.

"We want to assure our loyal customers that we are actively pursuing alternative solutions to address these issues and hope to resume our operations at the earliest. We are committed to finding a fast resolution and will share updates on our progress soon."

However, several media outlets say lessors have begun retrieving the remaining aircraft.

According to ch-aviation fleets advanced data, both ATR72-600s - VT-TMC (msn 1364) and VT-TMC (msn 1385) are leased from VMAN Aero Services and the two Twin Otters, VT-KHU (951) and C-GXVV (msn 987), were sourced from AER Leasing and Unity Group, respectively. VT-KHU was delivered to flybig in September, while C-GXVV is at Dehra Dun but is yet to be entered into the Indian aircraft registry. A VMAN spokesperson confirmed to ch-aviation that it was repossessing its ATRs because of contractual defaults. ch-aviation has also contacted the Twin Otter lessors for comment.

flybig flew to 11 domestic destinations, including Agartala, Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar Donyi Polo, Kolkata, Pasighat, Patna, Rupsi, Silchar, and Tezu. The airline is aiming to resume services in January 2024.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/134400-indias-flybig-focuses-on-twin-otters-to-add-more

flybig focuses on Twin Otters, to add more

27.11.2023

flybig is focusing on DHC-6-400s operations after all of its ATR - Avions de Transport RĂ©gional were returned to lessors. The Indian regional specialist said it would add three more Twin Otters in the first half of December.

"This milestone signifies a crucial phase in our endeavour to further lessen the physical distances across Bharat [India]. The infusion of more aircraft is beyond mere growth; it is a testament to our dedication to bridge distances. Our mission extends beyond mere convenience in air travel; flybig is progressively transforming regional connectivity, one city at a time," chief executive Sanjay Mandavia proclaimed.

The airline said that the three new Twin Otters would arrive in the second half of December but did not reveal their identities. The spokesperson told ch-aviation only that they would arrive from lessors in Mauritius and Japan. flybig said it would use the aircraft for "operations in Bathinda, Hindon, Ludhiana, and, in addition, bi-weekly services extending to Dehra Dun".

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that the carrier currently operates two DHC-6-400s. While one is in storage, the other is operating flybig's Hindon-Bathinda-Dehra Dun and Hindon-Ludhiana routes, according to Flightradar24 ADS-B data.

The regional specialist recently ended its ATR operations, having first returned its only ATR72-500 in October. Two ATR72-600s on lease from VMAN Aero Services have also been retired. While the airline claimed it chose to return them due to the scarcity of spare parts and maintenance issues, the lessor said it repossessed the aircraft.

flybig focuses on serving routes covered by the Indian government's regional connectivity scheme UDAN. Prior to the retirement of the ATRs, it maintained an extensive network in eastern India, operating out of Kolkata. Currently, its limited operations are focused on Delhi and destinations in northern India.

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