Air Astra receives approval for commercial operations

Air Astra, a private air operator in the country, has received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Thursday and is all set to begin commercial flight operations.

The AOC, the final approval from the regulatory authority allowing the airline to commence operations, was given at a ceremony held at the Flight Standard and Regulations office of CAAB.

Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Choudhury, member of Flight Standards and Regulations, CAAB, handed over the certificate to Imran Asif, chief executive officer and accountable manager of Air Astra.

Photo: Courtesy

At the event, Shah Kawsar Ahmed Choudhury welcomed Air Astra to the industry to contribute to the GDP of the country with safe and efficient flight operations across the country.

He thanked the company, the first passenger airline to be granted an AOC certificate since 2014, for its consistent compliance with the regulations of CAAB leading to its certification within one year of applying for it.

Thanking the CAAB for its continued support and guidance, the CEO of Air Astra said the airline will always try to act with absolute professionalism.

Air Astra has already taken delivery of two ATR 72-600 aircraft at Dhaka and another 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 will announce official flight schedules for commercial operations.

Currently, US-Bangla and Novo Air are two private operators functioning in Bangladesh while Bangladesh Biman is the national carrier.