FlyBig
{{Short description|Regional airline in India}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = flybig
| logo = FlyBig_Logo.svg
| logo_size = 250px
| fleet_size = 3
| destinations = 24
| ICAO = FLG
| callsign = KRIS
| parent = Big Charter Private Limited
| founded = 2020
| commenced = {{start date and age|2020|12|21|df=yes}}
| headquarters = Gurugram, Haryana, India
| key_people = Captain Sanjay Mandavia (CMD)
Chander Bahadur (Head Financial Intelligence and Strategies)
| founder = Captain Sanjay Mandavia
| aoc =
| hubs =
| secondary_hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer =
| lounge =
| alliance =
| num_employees = 500
| website = {{URL|https://flybig.in/|flybig.in}}
}}
flybig is an Indian regional airline based in Gurugram, Haryana.{{Cite web|title=Airline and Location Code Search|url=https://www.iata.org/en/publications/directories/code-search/|access-date=2021-01-02|website=www.iata.org|language=en}} It is promoted by Gurugram-based Big Charter Private Limited. The airline began operations in December 2020 and is focused on connecting tier-2 cities within India.{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/78835806.cms |title=flyBig likely to start ops from Raja Bhoj by year-end |work=The Times of India |date=24 October 2020 |access-date= 25 October 2020}} The airline is currently operating in north and northwest India.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-06 |title=FlyBig has changed its order with De Havilland for a more economical option: Sanjay Mandavia |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/flybig-has-changed-its-order-with-de-havilland-for-a-more-economical-option-sanjay-mandavia-10914771.html |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=Moneycontrol |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-03 |title=FlyBig to launch Patna-Kol flight |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/flybig-to-launch-patna-kol-flight/articleshow/100715619.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=The Times of India}}{{cite news|last=Jain|first=Nitin|title=Ludhiana gets Dehradun, Delhi air link from this week|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/ludhiana-gets-dehradun-delhi-air-link-from-this-week-541310|work=The Tribune|date=4 September 2023|access-date=6 September 2023|language=en}}
History
The airline received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and received its Air Operator's Certificate (AoC) on 14 December 2020, both necessary for starting commercial operations. It began operations with a single ATR-72-500.{{cite web|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/hals-dornier-is-all-set-to-get-new-wings-flybig-wings/articleshow/77839769.cms |title=HAL's Dornier is all set to get new wings, flybig wings |publisher=Bangalore Mirror |date=31 August 2020 |access-date= 23 October 2020}} The company's focus is to serve Tier-2 cities and it aims to build a fleet of more ATR-72s and Viking/ DHC Twin Otters, thus eventually expand to a fleet of 20 aircraft.{{cite web|url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/starting-an-airline-during-covid-19-may-sound-like-a-bad-idea-but-for-flybig-its-a-perfect-flightplan-5757151.html |title=Starting an airline during COVID-19 may sound like a bad idea. But for flybig, it's a perfect flightplan|publisher=Moneycontrol.com |date=26 August 2020 |access-date= 23 October 2020}}
Before the airline began scheduled flights, it got its first route under a government tender to serve Shillong from Delhi. The flights commenced on 21 December 2020 and to fulfil its obligations, the airline wet-leased a DHC-8 Q400 aircraft from SpiceJet.{{Cite web|title=Direct Flight Services Between Shillong, Delhi Launched|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/direct-flight-services-between-shillong-delhi-launched-2341786|access-date=2021-01-02|website=NDTV.com}} The airline conducted proving flights on 4 December 2020,{{Cite web|title=Indore welcomes first Proving Flight of Fly Big Airlines, receives water cannon salute |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/indore-welcomes-first-proving-flight-of-fly-big-airlines-receives-water-cannon-salute|date=4 December 2020| access-date=5 January 2021|website=The Free Press Journal }} and operated its first scheduled flight on 3 January 2021 from Indore to Ahmedabad.{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=((India com Business))|date=2021-01-01|title= flybig to Start Operations From January 3: All You Need to Know About India's New Airline|url=https://www.india.com/business/flybig-to-start-operations-from-january-3-all-you-need-to-know-about-indias-new-airline-4303201/|access-date=2021-01-02|website=India News, Breaking News {{!}} India.com|language=en}} As of March 2024, it has 11 destinations with a fleet of three aircraft covering 3 states.
In November 2023, FlyBig Airlines temporarily ceased operations in Arunachal Pradesh, citing supply chain challenges as the primary reason.{{cite web | last=Singh | first=Bikash | title=FlyBig Airlines temporarily suspends operations in Arunachal Pradesh due to supply chain challenges | website=The Economic Times | date=2023-11-17 | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/flybig-airlines-temporarily-suspends-operations-in-arunachal-pradesh-due-to-supply-chain-challenges/articleshow/105288552.cms | access-date=2023-12-28}}
Destinations
As of December 2024, FlyBig operates between the following destinations:
Fleet
The flybig fleet consists of the following aircraft as of December 2024:{{Cite web |title=We are elated to add another family member to our ever-expanding π³πΉππ―πΆπ΄ fleet family. We warmly ππ²πΉπ°πΌπΊπ² our flying beauty π§ππΆπ» π’πππ²πΏ on Indian land. We are ready to make our 2 and 3 tier cities guests' journey easy & fast|url=https://twitter.com/flybigairlines/status/1674352173721993216?s=20 |date=2023-06-29|access-date=2023-06-29 |website=FlyBig |language=en}}
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center"
|+ flybig fleet |
| Aircraft
!In service !Orders !Passengers !Notes |
|---|
| DHC-6-400 Twin Otter
|3 |9 |19 | {{Cite web |title=India's flybig eyes green Twin Otter -400s |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/121752-indias-flybig-eyes-green-twin-otter-400s |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=ch-aviation |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/RaghavanO7/status/1761463849922740632?t=xwoBp8cE5Gj12CoQrxBkdQ&s=19|title=x.com}} |
| Total
!3 !9 !colspan=2| |
See also
External links
- {{Facebook|flybigairline}}
- {{Twitter|flybigairlines}}
- {{Instagram|flybig_connect}}