New long-haul startup carrier, Hans Airways, received its first Airbus A330-200 this week. In doing so, the carrier has completed one of the key mountains to climb to receive approval to operate.
The first of many
Hans Airways is soon to be the latest airline to connect the UK and India. Founded in October 2019 with plans to begin flights this year, the new carrier welcomed the first addition to its fleet today with open arms.
The Airbus A330-200 departed Majorca’s Palma de Mallorca Airport and arrived at Birmingham Airport a couple of hours later where it will undergo routine inspections and paperwork.
Prior to landing in Birmingham Airport from Palma, the aircraft underwent a 200-hour inspection in Abu Dhabi by Etihad Engineering. This was a necessary process following the aircraft’s departure from its previous owner, Air Europa. The aircraft is, however, only 14 years old and last flew in 2020.
Once arriving in Birmingham, it was greeted by the airline’s management team for an official viewing. Hans Airways CEO Satnam Saini, COO Nathan Burkitt and Chief Commercial Officer Martin Dunn were all in attendance.
CEO Saini commented on the new carrier’s achievement:
“Our first widebody Airbus arriving into the UK is a big and significant milestone on Hans Airways’ journey to launch. These past 12 months, we are pleased to have added a wealth of competence and experience to our leadership and management team. We also recruited and trained a full complement of exceptional pilots and cabin crew who will be ready to fly as soon as the airline’s AOC is awarded.”
The Airbus widebody is to be re-registered as G-KJAS. And in the coming weeks, the airline hopes to conduct a route-proving flight for the UK Civil Aviation Authority. This is crucial as a route-proving flight is a key part of the process if an airline wishes to gain the all-important Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).
Once obtaining the AOC , the UK-based startup carrier plans to offer 4 flights a week from Birmingham to the city of Amritsar, located in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab and home to the holiest Sikh gurdwara – the Golden Temple. Hans Airways picked a popular commercial and cultural location.
Currently, direct flights between Birmingham and Amristar are only flown by Air India once a week. The Indian flag carrier is considering increasing its frequency and if they decided to do so, Hans Airways will have some hefty competition to contend with.
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