The Romanian aviation market will soon have a new airline that will operate medium and long routes. Cristian Rada, the owner of Blue Air, has received approval to set up a new airline for long-haul flights, called Hello Jets.
Founded in February 2021 by the Romanian businessman, who owns 99,99% of Blue Air shares, the new Romanian long-haul airline has just received its air operator certificate (AOC). The Civil Aviation Authority of Romania granted Hello Jets authorization on July 26, 2021.
Hello Jets has received the Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
The new airline will not be a low-cost operator, with Hello Jets having great plans and a desire to operate frequent flights and long-distance charters. However, the air carrier has not yet provided the exact date of launch of the commercial operations.
Blue Air CEO Oana Petrescu confirmed that Blue Air leased a plane to Hello Jets. "Following the fleet renewal program, Blue Air decided not to use the aircraft anymore, as it is an aircraft with high maintenance costs and few seats, which does not have the necessary parameters for profitable operations for the business model of the airline Blue Air. Being practically unused, I rented it to Hello Jets ”.
The new Romanian airline currently has only one Boeing 737-500 aircraft in its fleet, leased from Blue Air in July 2021.
The aircraft, registered YR-BAG, already has 31.4 years of operational service. The Boeing 737-500 began passenger service with the Danish airline Maersk Air in 1990. After three years of operation, it was leased to Asiana Airlines. After flying as part of the South Korean airline's fleet for almost five years, between 1993 and 1998, the plane returned to Maersk.
During a decade between 1998 and 2008, the plane was re-registered and leased several times to various owners, including Air Malta, Estonian Air, Sterling Airlines, Jet Time and even to the US banking association, WFBN Wells Fargo Bank Northwest. Currently, the Boeing 737 still has the registration number and even the livery of its previous owner, Blue Air.
Hello Jets took over the plane to receive the AOC. It remains to be seen whether he will operate commercial flights with him.