Today (March 28th), CargoForwarder Global was informed by official sources that the Slovakian Civil Aviation Authority has granted newcomer Air Cargo Global (ACG) the Air Operator’s Certificate. Based in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava it allows the carrier to conduct commercial flights under EU law according to its objectives.
With the Operator’s Certificate in their pockets, the ACG owners Igor Bondarenko and Andrey Goryasko have taken an important step toward taking their new ACG to the air. It allows them to give
their green light for the maiden flight of the carrier. Theoretically!
Practically the champagne corks will only pop in about three weeks after the Icelandic lessor Avion-owned Boeing 747-400SF (special freighter) has passed a thorough technical reactivation check
at Haitec, an independent maintenance provider based at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. This is an officially required precondition for taking to the air once more. After all, the craft had been
sidelined since spring of last year when its former operator Air Cargo Germany went out of business.
Once technically reviewed and transferred to Bratislava’s Milan Rastislav Stefanik Airport the 22 year-old jumbo freighter is slated to operate the route Frankfurt-Dubai-Hong Kong and back,
occasionally serving Bratislava if there is need for unloading shipments bound for the local Slovakian market or the neighboring countries in Eastern Europe. Time will tell how often the craft
will touch down at its future home base, considering that the trunk route is Rhine-Main-Dubai-Hong Kong with flights back taking the same way.
Not only the initials ACG remind of the former name giver Air Cargo Germany but also the staff consist to a great deal of former employees of the old ACG. Some of them – the people responsible
for administration – are still based at Hahn Airport, while most of the operational department moved over to Rhine-Main.
Therefore, including the carrier’s formal headquarters in Bratislava the new ACG will be spread over three locations. It remains to be seen if this split proves to be effective and cost
efficient.
Aviation experts are indicating a second delicate point: there is no back-up in case the aircraft should have some technical problems. Originally, ACG intended to operate two 747-400SFs from Air
Cargo Germany’s former fleet, but Avion sold the sister model meanwhile, making this option impossible.
When approached by CargoForwarder Global to obtain an AOC confirmation neither Goryashko nor Bondarenko reacted. Simultaneously, the Slovakian Aviation Authority was not available for any comment
as stated in a recorded announcement.
Heiner Siegmund