This article has been revised to correct factual information. The previous version has incorrectly stated that the airline has lost its air operators’ certificate (AOC), while, in fact, the situation concerns its air carrier license (ACL). Air Premia has not lost its ACL and is operating as usual, the airline’s spokesperson kindly explained to AeroTime via email.
In March 2019, South Korean authorities have issued licenses to the fresh batch of start-up airlines, among which was Air Premia. Fast forward a month, the airline is already making changes to license, after appointing a second CEO.
The airline itself has acknowledged the change of leadership and appointment of “additional” representative director (a second CEO) in a statement on April 19, 2019.
The country’s transport ministry has confirmed Air Premia’s request to revise its business license, as widely reported in local media. “The change in CEO could mean their initial business plan might not be executed and if the transport ministry believes the plan to be lacking substance, they can revoke the business license,” Korean Times reports, quoting an unidentified aviation official.
But the carrier states that, while the change of their representative director(s) does require alteration for the license, it is “is very routine and very different from the license cancellation”. As for possibility of not executing initial business plan, the airline believes there is no chance of that, as “there are no changes in the business plan,” the carrier explains.
The appointment of the second CEO is to “speed things up”, according to April 19 statement, as the carrier is rushing to launch operations in September 2020. In March 2019, Air Premia signed lease agreement with ALC for three Boeing 787-9s, with plans to expand the fleet to ten aircraft by 2025.