By Janice Ferro
A trip to Agatti Island in the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep was a fixture I was not expecting on my April bingo card, and boy, was it an exhilarating prospect! I jumped at the opportunity to expand my travel horizons within India when extended an invitation to experience the flight journey to Agatti Island with four peers via the Goa-based FLY91 airline.
I was equally thrilled to embark on my maiden trip to Agatti Island on FLY91’s turboprop ATR 72-600 aircraft. Having recently commenced operations out of the Manohar International Airport (MIA) in Mopa, North Goa, FLY91 is a pure play regional airline and the newest entrant in India’s aviation industry. Flights from Goa-Agatti-Goa ply four days a week.
After applying for and securing the required permits for travelling to Agatti Island a few days before the trip, we were all set for our flight from Goa to Agatti Island at 07:15 am. The journey would take an hour and 45 minutes from MIA to Agatti Airport, with an estimated arrival time of 09:00 am. This warranted an early rising, but since it was only a daylong trip, we all carried hand luggage with immediate essentials. After a swift and hassle-free check-in and security check, wherein they handed us our boarding passes and checked the permits, we headed off to our gate until it was time to board.
A small, sturdy plane, the cerulean, yellow and white FLY91 aircraft looked as pretty as a picture against the powder-blue sky. Its six-bladed propellers also gave me a quaint, whimsical feel, reminiscent of the vintage aircraft I’ve seen in films. I must say, the punctuality of FLY91 is unparalleled. The crew is efficient and polite, and the entire process went like clockwork. On boarding the flight, we received warm welcomes from the flight attendants, who offered us a pick of Indian candy like Mango bites and more from a woven basket, before ushering us to our seats.
Being a 70-seater, the aircraft is smaller in size and offers a quaint, intimate experience that is in no way hindered. The smaller seating capacity ensures that your every need is attended to meticulously by the very polite flight attendants. After strapping ourselves into our seats and getting taken through the standard safety procedures, we prepared for takeoff. The initial pre-flight jitters struck, but the calming demeanours of the attendants were greatly pacifying.
I cannot emphasise enough the beauty of the scenery outside the plane window on the trip to Agatti Island! As pretty as a picture, the kind of postcards you send home to your loved ones is as close a descriptor as I can give. The serene blue skies, and shimmery blue ripples on the Indian Ocean’s surface kept my eyes glued to the window almost the entire journey!
The snacks offered onboard were scrumptious and on the healthy side. I received a drink and snack combo on the way to and from the airport. On the flight to Agatti Island, I selected a delicious and refreshing cashew apple drink and masala ragi chips with a cheesy dip, which kept me sated and hydrated. I browsed through the Amar Chitra Katha book titled ‘Rama’, a retelling of the Ramayana, kept in the seat pocket ahead, which also kept me engaged.
When the captain announced our arrival at Agatti Island was imminent, my gaze immediately snapped to the window, drinking in the clear waters, frothy waves and coral peeking through the surf – utterly spellbinding! After a smooth landing at Agatti airport, which is right along the coast, we disembarked and admired the island’s beauty. The weather was humid, as was expected on a tropical island, but still pleasant, and I enjoyed the scenery as much as possible within the short time we spent on the island, commemorating the trip with a few photographs.
We then headed on to our security check, received our new boarding passes at the Agatti airport and went back to the aeroplane. This procedure brought the punctuality of FLY91 to the forefront once again. We were promised a 15-minute turnaround on landing, and that is exactly what we got! After squeezing in a couple more photographs, we embarked on the flight and received yet another warm welcome from the flight attendants. We settled in our seats and prepared for our return to Goa.
On the return flight, I selected a tangy bimbli drink and the masala ragi chips and cheesy dip once again – the latter really grew on me! I had a quick shut-eye, a little exhausted from the early waking and the journey, and the smooth flight ensured that I rested well. I woke up after half an hour and oscillated between poring over ‘Rama’ and admiring the view outside the window until touchdown at MIA.
Landing in Goa brought a sense of despondency, as I truly enjoyed the flight experience on FLY91 to Agatti Island. I can only say that the trip whetted my appetite to make a return to Agatti Island as soon as possible on FLY91 – and get another taste of those awesome masala ragi chips!
