Syphax Airlines (Sfax) has obtained a new air operator's certificate (AOC) from the Tunisian civil aviation authority (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile - DGAC).
According to local media reports, the privately-owned Tunisian ACMI/charter specialist regained its flight permit on November 9 after having started the five-phase process in January 2022. Neither the airline nor regulator were immediately available for comment.
Earlier this year, Syphax Airlines took delivery of its first B737-800 leased from Blackbird Capital, saying it had signed a multi-aircraft deal.
As reported, Syphax Airlines - founded in 2011 - operated two A319-100s before it was forced to suspend flights in 2015 due to a financial crunch in the wake of terrorist attacks in Tunisia.
The airline recertified in January 2019 and restarted operations in the middle of that year with a fleet of CRJ900s after Tunisian courts approved a multi-year recovery plan providing for debt restructuring. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Frikha said the company would focus on ACMI/charter operations initially with a West African carrier - later revealed to be Arik Air (W3, Lagos) in Nigeria. Thereafter, Syphax Airlines planned to add scheduled passenger flights from its three bases at Tunis, Sfax, and Djerba to Algeria, France, Italy and Spain.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the company's fleet comprises the B737-800 and three CRJ900s.
