Australian carrier Strategic Airlines today received its air operator's certificate (AOC) which means it can start operating its Airbus A330 in its on right rather than relying on chartered aircraft.
The carrier says Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority today granted the AOC and it will use it to operate its Airbus A330-200 that it has to serve the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Strategic has had a long-standing contract to transport Australian troops to the Middle East and prior to getting its AOC it had been fulfilling the contract by chartering an aircraft from Portuguese carrier Hi Fly.
Strategic also says it is seeking to add two Airbus A320s to its Australian operation.
It has already secured another two A320s but has assigned these to its European offshoot which last month secured a French AOC.
Strategic's Australian and French operations aim to cater to clients needing to charter or wet-lease passenger aircraft.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news