Another private airline Air Astra got the authorities approval for operating commercial flights in the country on Thursday.
With this, the operator is ready to launch its commercial flight within this month.
Air Astra Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager Imran Asif while talking to Bangladesh Post confirmed this.
He said, “We cannot exactly specify the date from which we are going on commercial operation. As the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) is now achieved by the Air Astra, we are optimistic that we will be able to start our commercial flight operation within this month.”
On the same day, CAAB Member (Flight Standards and Regulations) Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Choudhury handed over the AOC certificate to Air Astra CEO Imran Asif at CAAB office.
Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Choudhury welcomed Air Astra to the industry to contribute to the GDP of the country through safe and efficient flight operations across the country. He also thanked Air Astra for its consistent compliance with the regulations of CAAB leading to its certification within one year since application, and the first passenger airline AOC issued since 2014.
The CEO of Air Astra thanking the authority said that the airline shall always endeavor to act absolutely professionally through its team of industry-leading professionals and always adhere to all regulations - especially ones pertinent to safety.
Air Astra has already taken delivery of two ATR 72-600 aircraft at Dhaka and further two aircraft are scheduled to be delivered within 2022. The French-built aircraft is the most modern turboprop in the world today with excellent industry reliability, configured to carry 70 passengers in a comfortable, quiet cabin.
Following the achievement of the AOC, the airline shall soon make official flight schedule announcements for commercial operations.
