Spain's Aura Airlines expands fleet to boost LatAm cargo ops

Egypt's SkyBird Airlines secures first aircraft, an A320

Bulgaria's GullivAir gets the go-ahead for US plans

Bulgarian start-up GullivAir (G2, Sofia) has been awarded a Foreign Air Carrier Permit and Exemption Authority for a two-year period by the US Department of Transportation, which will enable it to proceed with its plans to launch three weekly scheduled return flights between Sofia and New York JFK.

In a regulatory notice, the DOT confirmed the FACP was valid from March 2, 2021.

It covers foreign schedules and charters of persons, property, and mail from any point/s behind any European Union member state, via any point/s in any member state, and via intermediate points, to any point/s in the US and beyond. It also allows foreign schedules and charters ferrying persons, property, and mail between any point/s within the US; and within the European Common Aviation Area.

GullivAir is also allowed to operate foreign cargo schedules and charters between any point/s in the US and any other point/s; and other charters with prior approval according to CFR Part 212 of the department’s economic regulations; as well as transportation authorised by any additional...

Spain's Aura Airlines expands transatlantic plans

Spain's Aura Airlines targets US flights

Aura Airlines (GWR, Madrid Barajas) is planning to start commercial flights to the United States as soon as it is given the go-ahead by the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

In its application to the DOT for exemption authority and a foreign air carrier permit, the Spanish charter specialist said only that it would run the flights using a combination of A320 and A330 equipment. In terms of operations, it requested permission to serve the US using a combination of scheduled and chartered flights carrying passengers, cargo, and mail. As per the US-EU Open Skies agreement, the permit should cover said flights from any point or points behind any Member State of the European Union, via any point or points in any Member State and via intermediate points, to any point or points in the United States and beyond.

While it did not reveal any further details, last month, Aura said it planned to add two A320-200s (including EC-NMY (msn 4008), an ex-IndiGo Airlines aircraft due shortly) and "one or two" A330-200...