Jet Airways has taken off for its first proving flight, one of the final steps in regaining back its air operator’s license and relaunching commercial operations following a three-year hiatus.
The special flight took off from Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) on May 15, 2022. The proving flight was carried out on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registered as VT-SXE.
The same aircraft was used for a test flight carried out from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad (HYD) on May 5, 2022.
And, she’s here! Our aircraft, VT-SXE, operated a positioning flight this evening from Hyderabad to Delhi as 9W101. Some photos here of the aircraft in Delhi and of colleagues celebrating this momentous day! #JetAirways #OnCloud9W pic.twitter.com/6sYfmlm0Jm
— Jet Airways (@jetairways) May 5, 2022
The Indian air carrier is expected to carry out a second proving flight in two days’ time, Indian media is reporting, quoting a source at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Having previously aimed to restart its operations in the first quarter of 2022, the airline now aims to be back and flying in the third quarter, July-September, 2022.
Following bankruptcy, Jet Airways ceased operations in April 2019. The airline has since been bought by the Kalrock Capital and Murari Lal Jalan consortium. In June 2021, the Indian Court permitted the new owners to revive the collapsed air carrier.