Afcom Holdings, trading as Afcom (Chennai), has secured its Air Operator's Certificate. The airline said on its social media accounts that India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued the certificate, valid for five years, on December 12, 2024.

As ch-aviation previously reported, Afcom has secured one B737-800(BCF) and one B737-800(SF) from Spectre Air Capital on eight-year terms. The BCF, VT-AFO (msn 28617), and the SF, VT-AFC (msn 30160), are both at Hyderabad International, according to ch-aviation fleets data.

Until now, Afcom has relied on B737 Classic freighter capacity provided by other operators, including Asia Cargo Airlines (GM, Jakarta Halim), and another aircraft sourced via Airmark.

Afcom says its own freighters will primarily operate between India and Southeast Asian airports and it plans to add further aircraft if demand warrants. "Our promoters and senior management team have extensive experience in the cargo logistics and forwarding business, which positions us well to capitalise on future growth opportunities," its latest annual report reads.

Separately, on December 18, Afcom announced it had signed an agreement with its general service and sales agent, Taylor Logistics, to cover the extra capacity available to customers once the two B737 freighters begin service.