India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has re-issued Zooom Airlines (ZO, Delhi International) with an air operator's certificate (AOC). The airline, operated by Zexus Air, last flew in March 2020, after which the regulator suspended its AOC.
"Zooom Airlines has received the official clearance to commence commercial passenger operations in India [...] The airline received its air operator certificate from the DGCA," reads a September 15 statement issued by Zooom. "We look forward to providing passengers with a top-notch travel experience that combines convenience, efficiency, and comfort."
The AOC was issued on September 14 and remains in force until September 3, 2024. The airline was established in 2014, then calling itself Zexus Air, but it did not take to the air until 2017, when it had rebranded to Zoom Air (India). For almost 18 months, it operated scheduled passenger flights using CRJ200s before it attracted the attention of the DGCA, which suspended its AOC in July 2018 over safety concerns.
The carrier managed to get its AOC back in 2019 and restart flights in October of that year, only to stop them in early 2020 when Covid-19 struck. Shortly after, the DGCA again withdrew its AOC. In 2022, ch-aviation reported that insolvency proceedings had started against Zexus. That case, Samual Tarig Omer Ahmed v. Zexus Air Services Pvt Ltd (case number IB/421/ND/2020), was one of several proceedings in India's insolvency tribunal, Zexus had dealt with since its formation. Zoom Air (India) rebranded to Zooom Airlines earlier this year.
Zooom Airlines CEO Atul Gambhir (formerly CEO at the defunct Air One Aviation (Delhi International)) told Indian media outlets last week that he hopes to resume flights using CRJ200 stock. "We wish to cater to the growing number of domestic travellers who take frequent flights and expect comfortable travel with reliable speed," he said. "We are confident in our ability to carve out a niche by offering a unique and innovative travel experience. The airline has ambitious plans to expand and introduce new routes, ensuring travelers have more options and seamless connectivity in the region and beyond."
Zoom Air (India) operated four CRJ200ERs - VT-ZOA (msn 7809), VT-ZOB (msn 7816), VT-ZOC (msn 7626), and VT-ZOD (msn 7767). VT-ZOA and ZOB were obtained from Magpie Aviation Leasing on leases with ZOA stored at Amritsar. VT-ZOC and ZOD came on leases from Regional One and both planes are stored at Delhi International. The whereabouts of VT-ZOB remains uncertain. Gambhir did not say whether he intended to negotiate with the lessors to return these aircraft to service or acquire new stock. ch-aviation has contacted Zooom Airlines for further details.
