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Issued by the aviation regulatory authority in the country where the carrier is based, the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) is the primary certificate that an airline needs to start selling flights to customers \u2014 it is granted once the airline proves that it has the necessary aircraft, staff, safety systems, and financial resources to operate over the long term.<\/p>\n
A change in the latter, or a lack of liquid cash necessary to stay operational, is the most common reason for an airline to have its AOC revoked.<\/p>\n
Airlines that saw this happen\u00a0over the last six months\u00a0include Estonia-based SmartLynx Airlines, Austria’s Mali Air, and Swedish charter carrier H-Bird. Over in the U.S., Houston-based charter carrier Starflite Aviation in the U.S. also lost its AOC after the FAA alleged that the airline falsified pilot training records in order to bypass various safety checks.<\/p>\n
Malta branch of Hi Fly loses operating license<\/p>\n
The latest airline to lose its AOC is, as first reported by Swiss outlet ch-aviation, Malta-based LEAF. Short for Lease and Fly, the subsidiary of the Portuguese wet lease airline Hi Fly received the certificate in May 2025.<\/p>\n
The parent company gave the new venture an Airbus A340-300 with the goal of launching charter flights to the Mediterranean island nation from nearby European capitals. A wet lease allows a company with a larger fleet to provide the airline, crew and insurance to an airline without them.<\/p>\n
Related: Airline shuts down in bankruptcy, runs last flight<\/p>\n
“Next-generation airline delivering innovative, sustainable Wet Lease and Charter solutions,” LEAF writes on its LinkedIn page where it also states that it has somewhere between 51 and 200 employees. “With a global reach and an all-Airbus widebody fleet, we empower partners with flexible, efficient air transport backed by top-tier safety, reliability, and environmental responsibility.”<\/p>\n
More Travel News:<\/p>\n
Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.Here is where you should go for those last days of ski seasonUnexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026U.S. government issues strange warning on Ireland travel<\/p>\n
Hi Fly is headquartered in Lisbon and is itself a wet lease airline providing other airlines with aircraft in different parts of the world. While few details about the reasons for LEAF’s lost AOC are currently made public, the airline struggled to get off the ground and run flights.<\/p>\n
LEAF is a subsidiary of Portugal’s Hi Fly based in Malta.<\/p>\n
Shutterstock<\/p>\n
What happens after an airline files for bankruptcy, loses its AOC<\/p>\n
As a result, any flights that LEAF may have been scheduled to fly are now off. In March 2026, \u00a0Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also lost its AOC over financial problems as it struggled with the business model of selling wealthy customers charter flights to cities such as Vienna, Valencia and Lyon.<\/p>\n
These airlines filed for bankruptcy\u00a0in 2025:Spirit Airlines (Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc.): Filed for\u00a0Chapter 11\u00a0bankruptcy\u00a0for the second time\u00a0on\u00a0August 29,2025.Ravn Alaska: Ceased operations in\u00a0August 2025\u00a0after earlier Chapter 11 proceedings; shut down flights and\u00a0folded into other operations\u00a0such as New Pacific.Corporate Air: Filed for\u00a0Chapter 11\u00a0bankruptcy (restructuring) in\u00a0September 2025\u00a0as part of a planned sale, according to\u00a0Bondoro.Play Airlines:\u00a0The Reykjavik-based airline shut down operations and\u00a0entered involuntary bankruptcy\u00a0in\u00a0September\u00a02025.Braathens Airlines:The airline was forced to file for bankruptcy and\u00a0canceled all of its flights\u00a0in\u00a0September 2025.<\/p>\n
New York-based charter airline Tailwind Air also tried to run downtown-to-downtown routes between New York, Boston, and several other East Coast cities but\u00a0ultimately ended up filing for Chapter 11 protection\u00a0in January 2026 when it failed to bring in enough passengers to pay for them.<\/p>\n
Related: Travel agency shuts down after losing license, all trips canceled<\/p>\n
#airline #loses #license #flights<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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