Hans Airways has received its first Airbus A330-200 after the aircraft touched down from Palma Airport, Mallorca at Birmingham International Airport in the United Kingdom.

The new hybrid, long-haul airline which will be headed by chief executive Satnam Saini, chief operating officer Nathan Burkitt and chief commercial officer Martin Dunn, and will operate an initial four times weekly service from Birmingham to Amritsar, a major commercial and cultural centre in the Punjab.

Hans Airways has partnered with maintenance and repair overhaul specialist STS Aviation Services for re-registration tasks and entry into service modifications ahead of its important route-proving flight for the UK Civil Aviation Authority in the coming weeks.  The A330 will fly as newly re-registered G-KJAS.

The aircraft has undergone a thorough 200-hour inspection in Abu Dhabi by Etihad Engineering and was required to return to Spain, its original country of registration for final contractual, administration, financial transfer and customs clearance. In Palma. work included a final internal inspection of the engines and rectification of any defect identified on the airworthiness and positioning flight.

“Our first widebody Airbus arriving into the UK is a big and significant milestone on Hans Airways’ journey to launch,” said Saini who added that the airline’s leadership and management team has recruited and trained up a full complement of pilots and cabin crew who will be ready to fly as soon as the airline’s AOC is awarded.

“We are delighted STS has been selected as a long-term key maintenance supplier to support Hans Airways’ Airbus A330,” stated STS’ Colby Payne. “As a result of this partnership, we have accepted the first aircraft for a maintenance visit at our state of the art, wide-body aircraft MRO facility in Birmingham and look forward to supporting Hans Airways with further projects as its growth continues.”

Hans Airways said it is planning to operate ACMI / charter services, which will help with crew training ahead of the scheduled service operation. Hans Airways will offer two classes of cabins: economy class, with a 31-inch seat pitch and 274 seats, and premium economy offering a 56” pitch and 24 seats.

Pictured: Hans Airways’ COO Nathan Burkitt with STS Aviation Services’ head of sales Colby Payne.