Air Astra has received the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on 3rd November, 2022 through a ceremony held at the Flight Standard & Regulations offices of the authority. The AOC (No. 27) is the final approval from the regulatory authority allowing the airline to begin commercial flight operations. The AOC was handed over by Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Choudhury, Member (Flight Standards & Regulations), CAAB to Imran Asif, Chief Executive Officer & Accountable Manager, Air Astra.

At the ceremony, Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Choudhury welcomed Air Astra to the industry to contribute to the GDP of the country through safe & 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 thanked the authority for its continued support and guidance helping the airline to comply with all regulations and achieve the AOC. He reassured the authority 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 2x ATR 72-600 aircraft at Dhaka and further 2x 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.