Turnkey airline start-up — from business model to AOC

An AOC is not a document you obtain. It is a state the company has to be in and then demonstrate: the people, the manuals, the procedures and the aircraft all have to exist and work before the inspection arrives.

The stages

• the business model: segment, fleet, network, economics — before any legal steps
• the legal entity, the ownership structure, capital and premises
• the fleet: purchase or lease, importation, registration, airworthiness
• manuals and procedures: the management system, flight operations, continuing airworthiness, quality and safety
• post holders and staff: the requirements on qualification and experience are met by people, not by titles on a staffing table
• maintenance: your own base or a contract with a certified organisation
• operator certification: the documentary review and the demonstration of compliance under the federal aviation regulations in force
• obtaining the approvals, entry into service, the first flights

Where it usually goes wrong

Three mistakes are typical. The first is to buy the aircraft first and think about the operator afterwards: the aircraft sits there eating money while certification runs its course. The second is formal manuals written from a template: they are not accepted, and rewriting them costs months. The third is post holders who exist on paper only: the experience requirements do get checked, and rightly so.

A realistic horizon for the launch is from several months to a year, depending on the type of operation, the fleet and how ready the team is. A promise of “six weeks” is worth treating as a signal.

What we help with

• working out the economics and choosing the model before the first money is spent
• selecting and acquiring the fleet, importation and registration
• preparing manuals and procedures for the specific type of operation
• finding the post holders and the flight crew
• supporting the certification and the dealings with the aviation authorities
• starting up operations and putting the reporting in place

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to obtain an AOC?

From several months to a year. The timeline is set by the type of operation, how ready the manuals are, whether the post holders are in place and the state of the fleet — not by how quickly the application is filed.

Can you start with a single aircraft?

Yes, and it is often the right way to go: less capital at risk, quicker feedback on the economics. Expanding the fleet is planned once the annual flight hours are steady.

Do you need a maintenance base of your own?

Not necessarily. At the start it is more usual to contract a certified organisation — your own base is justified with a larger fleet.

Do you help after the launch?

Yes. The first year is the hardest: that is when it becomes clear whether the procedures as written actually work and whether the model matches reality.