News Release

Bestfly awarded Angolan AOC by Angolan CAA

Bestfly, the Angola-based aviation services company has been awarded an Angolan Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the Angolan Civil Aviation Authority (Instituto Nacional da Aviação Civil INCVI). The certificate, which was issued on 10th October, enables Bestfly to offer third party charters out of Angola with its managed fleet of seven Angolan-registered aircraft, all of which have been inducted under the AOC. The company completed its first charter flight under the new certificate on 13th October.

The AOC took two years to achieve and required Bestfly to adapt its operations to meet those required by a commercial operator. As an IS-BAO operator (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations), which Bestfly attained in April, it was well positioned to meet the requirements.

The company's managed fleet of seven Angolan-registered aircraft are all now available for charter and include a Hawker 400XP (which has the capability to be rapidly changed to a medevac configuration), a Bombardier Challenger 600, two King Air 350s, a King Air 200, King Air 90 and a Cessna Grand Caravan EX.

The company is in the process of working with the authorities to establish its international AOC, which it is anticipated will be in place by the end of the first quarter of 2016. Until that is achieved, Bestfly's managed fleet of Aruba and Bermuda registered aircraft will continue to operate under private rules.

Commenting on the AOC, Nuno Pereira, managing director of Bestfly said: “This is an important milestone for us and we are very pleased to have achieved it. Our clients, the aircraft owners, can now place their aircraft in the charter market with the aim of off-setting ownership costs. We anticipate an increase in activity as a result.”

Bestfly is the largest private aircraft operator in Angola by fleet size, which comprises a 13-strong fleet, including managed aircraft.