Air Astra Received Final Approval to Operate Flights in Bangladesh

Private airline Air Astra has received final approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to operate commercial flights in the country’s airspace.

The airlines received CAAB’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC) at a ceremony held at the Office of Flight Standards and Regulations on Thursday.

Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Chowdhury, member of Flight Standards and Regulation Department of CAAB, handed over the AOC to Air Astra Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager Imran Asif on the occasion.

Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Chowdhury welcomed this new airlines to the industry for contributing to the country’s GDP by operating safe and efficient flights across the country. He thanked Air Astra for consistently complying with CAAB regulations within a year of application and for being the first passenger airline to receive an AOC since 2014.

Air Astra CEO thanked the CAAB authorities for their continuous support and guidance, which helped the airline achieve AOC in compliance with all norms. He assured the authorities that the carrier will always try to act properly through professional staff and adhere to all regulations, especially those related to safe flight operations.

Air Astra has already taken delivery of two ATR 72-600 aircraft to Dhaka and will take delivery of two more aircraft within this year. Made in France, the ATR 72-600 is a reliable aircraft with the most advanced turboprop technology in the world today. The comfortable cabin of the aircraft is designed to carry 70 passengers.

After obtaining the AOC, Air Astra will soon announce the official flight schedule for commercial operations, the company’s Deputy Manager (Public Relations) Shakib Hasan Shubo said in a press release.