Aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) specialist airline Thai SmartLynx recently received its Air Operator Partner certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), making its the country’s first ACMI airline.
A partner of the Avia Solutions Group, one of the world’s biggest ACMI providers, Thai SmartLynx is now in a position to offer fleet capacity solutions to meet seasonal and operational needs across Thailand and the wider region.
As such, this marks a major milestone in the Thai aviation sector.
It should also be noted that Thai SmartLynx is also the first airline in the country to receive its AOC under the new Civil Aviation Regulations on Air Operations (TCAR OPS) framework.
Modelled after European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, TCAR OPS governs key areas such as safety procedures, crew requirements, and operational manuals, designed to align Thailand’s aviation standards with international best practices.
Thai SmartLynx’s AOC certification is also timely as it comes ahead of the upcoming peak travel season when travellers from Europe and across Asia look to the region for winter escapes and school holiday travel.
A new beginning
Thai SmartLynx will commence operations with an Airbus A320 from its new operations office at Don Mueang International Airport (DMK).
The airline plans to progressively expand its fleet by adding 15 to 20 aircraft over the next three to four years to support both Thai and regional carriers.
According to airline chair Martynas Grigas: “Thai SmartLynx is proud to be a pioneer in bringing flexible capacity solutions to Thailand’s aviation sector. Our ACMI model offers airlines a fully operational capacity solution for our partners. This enables carriers to scale operations during peak demand periods or test new routes without major investment or long-term commitments.”
Through ACMI partnerships, airlines can add temporary capacity or optimise their networks while minimising capital expenditure.
The ACMI (wet lease) model enables airlines to increase overall profitability by two to three percent with the right strategy in place.
