BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation (RENAC) has announced that the long and protracted Air Operator Certificate (AOC) approval process for Eswatini Air is finally over, and that they have now received the AOC.
An AOC is an international aviation industry requirement issued by Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) to compliant airlines which serves as evidence that all functions of an airline’s operational methods, procedures and manuals are compliant with applicable regulations, and that the airline has demonstrated its ability to operate per these manuals.
When announcing the good news Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Captain Qiniso Dhlamini, Chief Executive Officer of RENAC said they were thrilled to have successfully concluded the rigorous five stage process, by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
“The next step is to obtain related operating permits from aeronautical authorities of the foreign countries we plan to operate to, and soon thereafter a date for commencement of our operations will be announced. On behalf of RENAC Board, Management and Staff, I would like to use this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our stakeholders, including the regulators, airports companies, tourism industry associations, our suppliers, the media and the general public for the support received during the AOC approval process.” Said Dlamini.
In addition Dlamini said without support from the various stake holders, it would have been impossible to achieve this major milestone.
“RENAC is working around the clock to make Eswatini Air becomes an African success story through service excellence, achieve consistent commercial success and make a positive contribution to the economy of Eswatini and the whole of Southern Africa.” He said.
He further highlighted that dates for launch of operations will be announced in due course, to be followed by opening of their systems bookings and ticket purchases
Meanwhile Initial destinations to be served using the two Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft are Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Harare. Continuous market potential analyses will be conducted to assess additional destinations to be added to the airline’s route network.
