Island Aviation plan to take to the air once again.

Company directors Mark Byrne and Anthony Philip have applied to the Department of Civil Aviation for an air operator certificate (AOC)and hope to receive it sometime this fall.

If approved, the AOC will allow the company to literally take off.

Island Aviation, which has not been operating charters for the last year, wants to restart on an independent basis. The company originally worked as a satellite partner for a US based company, mainly flying charters within the US.

"We've had problems relying on our US operators and their financial difficulties caused us problems," he said.

The Bermudian-based company, which began about three years ago, halted its executive air charter service when it ran into problems with the overseas operator.

""We've applied for this certificate so we're not beholden to anyone," Mr. Byrne said.

Mr. Byrne and Mr. Anthony began Island Aviation to gain a market share of the charter flights that enter Bermuda on a regular basis.

"We perceived a need and that's why we started it," Mr. Byrne said of the company, which was established in August 1999 to give Bermuda the benefit of having a charter service based on the Island.

But in order to receive the certificate, the company will have to meet the standards set in place by the Department of Civil Aviation, the department which regulates all aviation activity.

Director of Civil Aviation Ian MacIntyre explained that any aircraft used for public transportation has to have an AOC.

"It's a very high standard because it is public transportation," Mr. MacIntyre said. "There are dozens of standards that they must prove to us that they can meet and continually maintain."

The company will have to maintain its airplanes and a properly trained crew, ensure its pilots operate in a certain way, meet aircraft inspections and other requirements in order to carry the certificate.

"We are responsible to ensure that operation will be safe," Mr. MacIntyre said. "We will not issue the AOC unless we're satisfied that they have met all conditions."

In order to receive the AOC, Island Aviation must employ a full-time pilot, Mr. Byrne said.

Island Aviation presently employs three qualified pilots and is looking for another. They also advertised for a maintenance officer and an operations officer earlier this month.

The company has received several applications and hopes to hire Bermudian applicants.

At Island Aviation, the operations officer would need some qualifications but the company is willing to help the successful applicant meet these requirements through online and some overseas training.

However, the company will only hire a maintenance officer with preexisting qualifications because, Mr. Byrne explained, it takes a couple of years to become a qualified mechanic and the successful candidate would be required to coordinate ground operations, check the weather, schedules flights, flight plans and routes and liaisons with Customs here and abroad, along with other duties.

Also, the company would like to expand its air fleet. The Island Aviation team would be responsible for two airplanes, perhaps three.

The company would like to purchase a larger corporate jet but owns a IAI Westwind jet, used during its partnership with the US company, and a turbo prop Beechcraft Kingair, which is working in England under another company's certificate. The Beechcraft Kingair would be brought to Bermuda as soon as the application is approved.

Other plans include providing air ambulance services. The company would arrange for part-time medical personnel and the IAI Westwind has all the required equipment to meet the operational standards to serve as an air ambulance.

Most of the passenger seats can be removed in order to outfit the IAI Westwind with a stretcher unit and the Lifeport medical equipment, a system capable of monitoring patient vitals, he said.

Bermuda could benefit from an Island-based service, Mr. Byrne reasoned, because it would take less time to prep a jet already in Bermuda then to fly one in.

It would take six to twenty-four hours to get an air ambulance and we could cut that down to under three hours, he said.

"The principal part of our expansion is to be more independent and once we do that we will be able to grow," Mr. Byrne said.