Start-up Hans Airways signs Letter of Intent on first Airbus A330-200

Hans Airways, the UK’s newest airline, preparing to launch scheduled flights to India this year, is pleased to announce it has secured its first aircraft – signing a Letter of Intent for an Airbus A330-200 (MSN 950) in the first week of the new year.

The aircraft has been operating with Air Europa since 2008 (under registration EC-KTG), configured in a two-cabin layout, which Hans Airways will operate with 275 economy and 24 premium economy seats.

The A330 will be re-registered as G-KJAS, adopting the surname of one of Hans Airways’ principal early investors, who has believed in its community airline model since the project was conceived in 2019.

“We are delighted to have achieved this very important milestone in our two-year journey,” said Hans Airways’ CEO Satnam Saini. “Our scheduled operations centre on the Airbus A330, a popular and spacious long-haul widebody, excellent for cargo too, and we are grateful to everyone who has helped us to ratify this agreement at the start of the new year.”

UK base in Birmingham

Hans Airways has applied to the UK Civil Aviation Authority for its Air Operator’s Certificate and is hopeful of obtaining the status in time to start revenue service this summer. The airline will operate to secondary cities in India from Birmingham Airport. Its application for an Operating Licence and Route Licence has already been published by the UK CAA.

Pilot and cabin crew training commenced 3 January

The first set of flight crew (four pilots and cabin crew) commenced their first day of training on 3 January in Crawley, UK, with Hans Airways’ flight training partner IAGO Flight Training and L3 Harris Commercial Aviation for the simulator. The new recruits were welcomed by Satnam Saini, investor Kirpal Singh Jass, and Nathan Burkitt, the airline’s Director of Flight Operations and Crew Training.

London, 12 January 2022

Note: First destination is rumoured to be Amritsar