Omni Air International (OY, Tulsa International) has announced plans to resume main-deck freighter operations, two months after its takeover by cargo specialist Air Transport Services Group was completed.

In a US government disclosure, the Oklahoma-based passenger charter specialist said that an opportunity has arisen with a "major international express company" for it to deploy B777-Fs on various international routes to and from the United States (and, potentially, between third countries).

"As an existing B777 operator, Omni is especially well suited to respond to this opportunity," it said referring to its current fleet of three passenger-configured B777-200(ER)s.

As such, it has asked the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for an exemption to operate scheduled international flights ferrying property and mail between the United States and the various countries with which the country has Open Skies agreements.

Omni was originally certificated as an all-cargo carrier in 1997 under its then name, Omni Air Express, Inc. Over the ensuing years, it then transitioned into the passenger charter/ACMI business where it currently deploys three B767-200(ER)s, seven B767-300(ER)s, and the three B777s.

"While Omni has held and exercised worldwide charter authority continuously since the 1990s, scheduled cargo and mail traffic rights are needed to assure the success of the proposed new service," it said. "The need for such authority stems not from U.S. requirements, but from traffic-rights restrictions placed on charter flights by various foreign countries, including numerous U.S. open-skies partners."