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November 11, 2024

Avion Express Brasil started Phase 4 of AOC certification

Avion Express Brasil, a fully owned subsidiary of the Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) provider, has successfully started the 4th stage of the process of earning its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) with Brazil’s civil aviation regulator. The on-time entry into the next stage of the intensive and important regulatory process means the airline now expects to begin operations in very beginning of 2025, setting a new standard for accreditation of airlines operating on an ACMI basis in Brazil.

“I am pleased with the trust and understanding we have built with the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), working together to earn an AOC in a new way that fits our ACMI operations,” Esteban Jauregui Lorda, CEO of Avion Express Brasil, said. “We anticipate the arrival of our first aircraft in Brazil shortly, enabling us to finalize our certification and provide our airline partners with a reliable source of cost-effective capacity as the first ACMI provider in the region.”

Avion Express Brasil will have first-of-their-kind services which will enable the airline to bring Europe-based aircraft to South America for peak seasonal demand. While the ACMI market in Brazil has historically been underdeveloped due to lack of investments, Avion Express Brasil is leveraging investment from Avia Solutions Group to meet the needs of airlines and passengers who have demonstrated preference for travel during Europe’s slow winter season. For example, in Europe, on average there were of 8,215 fewer flights per day in November 2023 compared to July 2023, according to Eurocontrol. Meanwhile, in Brazil, Rio De Janeiro’s Galeão International Airport reported 222,614 more passengers in November 2023 as opposed to July that year. 

“As we progress with the inspections for our AOC, we move closer to providing the ability for airlines in Brazil and the region to scale to meet seasonal passenger demand,” Jauregui Lorda said.  “Our AOC will be a cost-effective, turnkey solution for Latin America’s capacity shortages at a time when the market would support 10-15 additional aircraft today with an appetite for more increases in the future.”

Avion Express Brasil is part of an ambitious expansion project launched by its parent company, Avion Express, to consolidate its presence in Latin America. Specializing in narrow-body ACMI operations, Avion Express now operates a fleet of over 50 Airbus A320 family aircraft. Customer airlines of Avion Express include Air France-KLM Group Airlines, British Airways Group Airlines, Lufthansa Group Airlines, SKY Airline, SunExpress, TUI, VivaAerobus, Wizzair, and many others.