UAE cargo airline SolitAir has secured a UK Third Country Operator Certificate shortly after beginning flights to the European Union.
The Dubai-based carrier said in a LinkedIn post on 22 July that it had been granted a certificate to operate into the UK by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
“SolitAir has officially secured its United Kingdom Third Country Operator Certificate, issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority,” commented the airline.
“The approval strengthens our ability to operate across UK airspace and opens another important connection between the Global South and the Global North.”
The UK operator certificate follows SolitAir’s inaugural flight to Sofia, Bulgaria after it secured Air Cargo or Mail Carrier operating into the Union from a Third Country Airport (ACC3) designation from the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority in March.
SolitAir first obtained an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) General Civil Aviation Authority in March last year.
Since its operational launch in October 2024, the airline has grown to 56 routes across more than 34 countries, including a 17-city network across Africa, anchored by a hub in Nairobi.
SolitAir operates a fleet of seven 737-800 Boeing converted freighters, each with 20-tonne cargo capacity and able to carry dangerous goods, pharmaceuticals, perishables, valuable and oversized freight.
The airline is targeting fleet growth to 20 aircraft operating from its 20,440 sq m cargo hub at Dubai World Central.
