A Jet Airways aircraft took to the skies for the first time in just over three years this week, as the airline seeks to regain its Air Operator Certificate in the coming months.
All Jet Airways flights were suspended in April 2019 after the Indian carrier failed to find emergency funds to keep it afloat.
Since then the airline has been working with stakeholders and creditors to enable it to relaunch services, and on May 5 (a date which also coincided with the carrier’s 29th birthday) Jet Airways posted a video on its official Twitter page showing one of its aircraft taking off.
Today, May 5, our 29th birthday, Jet Airways flew again! An emotional day for all of us who have been waiting, working, and praying for this day, as well as for Jet's loyal customers who can't wait for Jet to commence operations again. pic.twitter.com/2HcSHa0bTS
— Jet Airways (@jetairways) May 5, 2022
Subsequent tweets confirmed that Jet had undertaken a test flight around Hyderabad, followed by a positioning flight to Delhi.
The airline is hoping to schedule proving flights with India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation in the coming weeks, as part of the process of regaining its Air Operator Certificate.
Fellow Indian airline Indigo also got in on the act, tweeting:
“Congratulations @jetairways! Wishing you all the best as you prepare for this new start 💙🙌”
At its height Jet Airways served European destinations including London and Manchester, as well as several US cities.
In recent months several start-up carriers have announced plans to launch routes between the UK and India, including Hans Airways from Birmingham, and Flypop from Stansted.
