BLITZ BUREAU
LOW-COST airline Air Kerala received the initial no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Civil Aviation over the weekend, the airline announced at a press conference.
Promoted by Dubai-based entrepreneurs Afi Ahmed and Ayub Kallada, Air Kerala, will be the first regional airline of India’s southernmost state. It is registered under the name Zettfly Aviation.
According to a report by Khaleej Times, the airline has received government nod to “operate scheduled commuter air transport services for three years”. Once the airline becomes operational, it will become Kerala’s first regional airline.
“Now that they have the NOC, the airline will have to acquire aircraft and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements to obtain the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC),” Kallada said. “This is a critical phase that ensures we meet all safety and operational standards set by the aviation authorities,” he added.
Commenting on the development, Afi Ahmed said, “This is the result of years of our hard work. My partners and I have been working tirelessly to make this a reality. Several people questioned us and dismissed it, saying it would never Low-cost airline Air Kerala, gets nod from Dubai authorities become a reality. We still have a long way to go but the NOC is a big step for us.”
A year ago, Ahmed reportedly paid a local company one million dirhams to acquire the domain name airkerala.com and with this, he sparked the hopes to revive the Kerala government’s long-time pipe dream — Air Kerala.
