ASL Airlines UK certifies, launches domestic operations

ASL Airlines UK (ABV, East Midlands) became the first new fixed-wing airline to receive an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) in the United Kingdom after its exit from the European Union. The cargo specialist launched commercial operations on March 25, 2021. “We want to offer our customers flexibility in their route planning when they want to operate domestically in the UK, or, in time, to fly from the UK to the EU,” Chief Operating Officer of ASL Aviation Holdings Colin Grant said. The British airline has been set up primarily in response to the end of the post-Brexit transition period at the end of 2021, limiting access to the UK domestic market for EU-registered carriers. So far, it operates a single ATR72-200(F), G-OASL (msn 265), on a single route between East Midlands and Belfast Int’l. ASL Aviation Holdings said that it is planning to add more domestic routes in the UK and that its UK subsidiary is also in the process of applying for the Third Country Operator (TCO) status from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which will permit it to expand to the continent. The airline told Cargo Facts that it has no plans to expand the fleet until it secures the TCO. Following the UK carrier’s certification and launch, ASL Aviation Holdings currently has four active European AOCs: ASL Airlines Ireland, ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines Hungary, and ASL Airlines UK. The holding also has minority stakes in Thailand’s K-Mile Asia and South Africa’s Safair.