Zomato’s Goyal enters aviation with LAT Aerospace

Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal is now moving into the aviation sector with a new startup called LAT Aerospace to make regional air travel more affordable and easier for people across India.

“While building Zomato and flying across India, Deepinder and I kept circling back to the same question: Why is regional air travel still so broken — expensive, infrequent, and mostly out of reach unless you live in a metro?” Zomato co-founder Surobhi Das Das wrote in a LinkedIn post.

The startup has reportedly raised $50 million, with $20 million coming from Goyal.

LAT Aerospace plans to use short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft that seat between 12 and 24 passengers. These aircraft will fly from small “air-stops” built close to where people live. The air-stops will be the size of a parking lot.

“Think buses in the sky — affordable, high-frequency, and designed to connect the places the airline industry overlooked. Our aircraft will take off and land in compact ‘air-stops’ — no bigger than a parking lot — built closer to where people live. No chaos. No security lines. Just walk in and fly,” said Das.

According to Das, India has more than 450 airstrips, but only around 150 are used for commercial flights.

“That means nearly two-thirds of our aviation potential is being wasted. Meanwhile, millions in Tier-II and Tier-III cities spend hours — sometimes days — travelling by road or rail,” she explained.

The company is now hiring and is looking for aerospace engineers, systems designers, and aviation professionals to join the team.

However, it remains uncertain how LAT Aerospace will deal with issues such as regulatory approval, technology, and public interest.