Published on
March 17, 2026
By: Tuhin Sarkar
Image generated with Ai
India’s emerging regional airline FLY91 has taken a significant step toward strengthening its leadership structure with two major senior appointments as it prepares for the next phase of expansion across India’s regional aviation network. The airline has appointed Martin Aeberli as Chief of Staff while simultaneously promoting Captain Prateek Agarwal to Vice President – Operations, moves designed to reinforce both strategic coordination and operational capability as the airline continues to expand its footprint.
The leadership changes come at a critical stage for the regional carrier, which launched commercial operations in March 2024 and has since been steadily building a network connecting underserved destinations across India. By strengthening its executive bench, FLY91 aims to maintain operational efficiency while accelerating regional connectivity.
Strengthening Strategic Leadership
As Chief of Staff, Martin Aeberli will work directly with the airline’s CEO and senior leadership team to ensure alignment across strategic initiatives and organisational priorities. The role is designed to support coordination across departments while ensuring that key projects move from planning to execution effectively.
Aeberli will oversee cross-functional initiatives and assist leadership in translating long-term strategic goals into operational action. His responsibilities will also include supporting executive decision-making, strengthening internal collaboration and helping drive organisational alignment as the airline continues its expansion strategy.
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With over three decades of experience in global aviation, Aeberli brings extensive expertise from both network and regional airline environments. His appointment signals FLY91’s intention to integrate international aviation best practices into its growing regional operations.
Most recently, Aeberli served as Chief Commercial Officer at Caribbean Airlines, where he played a key role in commercial strategy and market development. Prior to that, he spent more than six years as Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer at Royal Brunei Airlines, contributing to the airline’s strategic growth and international positioning.
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Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles with Etihad Airways, Jazeera Airways and Qatar Airways, and also worked with Luxair, Swiss International Air Lines and Swissair. His career has spanned aviation markets across Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, giving him broad experience in airline management, commercial strategy and network planning.
Commenting on his appointment, Aeberli said he was excited to join the airline at a pivotal moment in its development.
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He noted that the opportunity to work closely with the leadership team and contribute to building a strong operational foundation for the airline’s future growth made the role particularly compelling.
Operational Leadership Expansion
Alongside the appointment of Aeberli, the airline has elevated Captain Prateek Agarwal to Vice President – Operations, a role that significantly expands his responsibilities within the organisation.
Previously serving as Director of Training, Agarwal will now oversee both Operations and Training, bringing operational management and pilot training under a single leadership structure. The move aims to strengthen operational efficiency while ensuring consistent safety and regulatory compliance standards.
Agarwal has more than 15 years of aviation experience and has been part of the airline’s founding team. Since joining FLY91 in its early development phase, he has played an important role in establishing the airline’s operational and training frameworks.
His technical expertise is further reinforced by his role as an ATR Examiner, reflecting deep familiarity with the ATR aircraft type used in the airline’s regional fleet.
In his expanded position, Agarwal will focus on maintaining high safety standards, improving operational reliability and strengthening pilot training programmes as the airline expands its services to new destinations.
He emphasised that continuing to maintain safety, professionalism and operational reliability would remain a central priority as the airline grows.
Leadership Reflecting Expansion Strategy
FLY91’s leadership believes the appointments demonstrate the airline’s commitment to building a strong leadership team capable of managing sustained regional growth.
Company CEO Manoj Chacko said the additions reflect a deliberate strategy to combine global aviation expertise with internally developed leadership talent.
He noted that Aeberli’s international aviation experience strengthens the airline’s leadership depth and highlights the growing ability of the regional carrier to attract experienced aviation professionals.
At the same time, Agarwal’s promotion reflects the company’s confidence in developing leadership from within the organisation.
Chacko explained that Agarwal’s operational understanding and dedication to safety and training excellence position him well to lead operations as the airline continues expanding its regional connectivity.
Expanding Regional Connectivity
Since beginning commercial operations in March 2024, FLY91 has focused on improving air connectivity between smaller cities and major regional hubs.
The airline currently operates services to nine destinations including Mopa (Goa), Sindhudurg, Solapur, Jalgaon, Kochi, Agatti, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
As part of its ongoing network expansion, the airline plans to introduce additional routes connecting Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Hubballi, Nanded, Indore and Dabolim in South Goa.
These planned routes are expected to strengthen regional mobility while supporting tourism, trade and economic connectivity across several Indian states.
The airline has confirmed that final schedules for the new destinations will be added to its reservation system once operational planning is completed.
Building the Next Phase of Growth
The leadership appointments mark an important step in FLY91’s development as it continues transitioning from launch phase to structured network expansion.
By combining international leadership expertise with internally developed operational talent, the airline is positioning itself to manage growth while maintaining safety, reliability and efficiency.
As regional aviation continues to play a crucial role in connecting underserved cities across India, FLY91’s strategy highlights the importance of strong leadership, operational discipline and coordinated expansion in building a sustainable regional airline.
