Jet Airways could be inching closer to restarting flights with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) expected to schedule its proving flights next week following which the airline will be granted an aircraft operator’s certificate (AOC).
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“The proving flights are likely to start soon. The airline will have to conduct 10 such flights. We expect this to take 30 days after which the airline will get its aircraft operator’s certificate subject to security clearance,” a senior DGCA official said on the condition of anonymity.
After the aircraft operator’s certificate is granted, the National Company Law Tribunal will proceed to transfer the ownership of assets such as Jet Airway’s 11 aircraft to the Jalan-Kalrock consortium which was the successful resolution applicant of the insolvency process. This will pave the way for the airline to place an order for planes, and start talks with airports for slots. The airline aims to resume operations by the third quarter of calendar year 2022.
May 5th was also an important milestone for the airline which operated a Boeing 737 aircraft using its IATA code 9W after a gap of three years since ceasing operations due to a cash crunch. Thursday’s flight was a test flight over Hyderabad conducted after the aircraft underwent maintenance work, including engine replacement. After that the plane flew to Delhi for the proving flights for the regulator likely next week.
“We are in the final stages for the AOC, and hope to be able to schedule the proving flights soon,” the spokesperson for Jalan-Kalrock consortium said in a statement.