Air Astra, a new private Airlines company has received a no-objection certificate (NOC) to fly the domestic routes from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Thursday.
CAAB sources said the company applied for the certificate on September 21.
Imran Asif, chief executive officer of Air Astra, told The Business Post that they are bargaining with an aircraft leasing company to acquire four ATR 72-600 (Dash) aircraft.
"If we are able to finalize the deal, these aircraft will fly to the sky in February 2022 to all domestic routes," he said.
"Air Astra has plans to launch international operations by adding two more aircraft by 2023 as per the rules and regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority," Imran Asif added.
An Air Astra official said the airline wants to get the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification — an operational safety audit program by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — as the first private airline operator of Bangladesh to take into consideration passenger safety and security.
Moreover, Air Astra will be the third private air operator in Bangladesh after US-Bangla.
