Baltia Air Lines (New York JFK) has decided to abandon plans to use a thirty-seven year-old B747-200, N706BL (msn 21705), for certification as well as commercial requirements based on advice from current and former US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel.
Baltia's President and Chairman, Russell K. Thal, said in a statement that the carrier would now seek out newer, more fuel efficient aircraft to lease.
"Additionally, our consultant has opened a dialogue at the most senior policy levels of the FAA to substitute the newer aircraft we choose to our certificate in a way that will retain as much of the work we have accomplished and lead to the issuance of an operating certificate in the shortest amount of time. As a result we have invited our consultant to lead this effort," he said in a letter to shareholders.
Baltia, arguably a contender for the world's oldest start-up at twenty-seven years of age, is currently in pursuit of its AOC with the FAA though it has run into several hurdles of late with the regulator.
"This change in strategy [the introduction of a new aircraft] means that we withdraw several motions we currently have pending with the FAA, in favor of non-litigious, non-confrontational options. This should lead to a more positive and productive relationship. We believe this is a prudent move that will ultimately benefit the company and its shareholders."
Baltia has applied to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to be awarded traffic rights ahead of the launch of proposed scheduled passenger flights between New York JFK and St. Petersburg in Russia later this summer.
