Moldova-based airline HiSky receives clearance for regular flights to the United States

Moldovan airline HiSky, which operates in Romania as well, recently announced that it has received the Foreign Air Carrier Permit from the US Department of Transportation. Thus, HiSky becomes the only airline in Romania that holds the right to operate scheduled passenger flights from Europe to any destination in the United States.

Following this authorization, HiSky said it is preparing to launch its first direct transoceanic flights from Romania, after more than 20 years.

"After completing all stages of the verification process, the US Department of Transportation has granted us the Foreign Air Carrier Permit. This means that starting from today (e.n. December 12), HiSky has the right to operate flights to any destination in the United States,” the airline said in a post on Facebook.

In June, HiSky said it plans to become the first airline to operate direct flights from Bucharest and Chișinău to the United States.

The aircraft that provides the company with the capability to operate non-stop long-haul flights is scheduled to land at Henri Coanda Airport in Bucharest on Monday, December 18. The aircraft, an Airbus A330, has already been painted at a maintenance base in Ireland. 

This is the first wide-body aircraft in HiSky's fleet and the only one of its kind to be operated by a Romanian company. With a configuration of two service classes, business, and economy, it has a range of up to 14 hours of uninterrupted flight, covering distances of over 13,400 km non-stop. 

The new aircraft is planned to enter service immediately after it arrives in Bucharest, with the first flights to be operated as charter flights to distant destinations in Asia over the holiday season.

With the addition of the eighth aircraft to its fleet, HiSky reaches a capacity of over 1,500 seats. Earlier this year, the airline acquired two more new aircraft, A321 neo-LR, with a flight range of 7,400 km.

In the winter season, HiSky operates regular and connecting flights from airports in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Baia Mare, and Chișinău, to 26 domestic and international destinations. The airline is also set to operate its inaugural flight from Bucharest to Bordeaux later this month.

HiSky is also expanding domestically. The company, which operates flights to 20 domestic and international destinations, is expected to sign a contract with Bihor County Council and Oradea City Hall to provide additional flights to Bucharest and new international routes, being the only one that submitted an offer for this purpose. The president of the Bihor County Council, Ilie Bolojan, stated that if the HiSky offer meets all the requirements of the specifications, the contract can be concluded, so that the flights can begin in the summer, according to G4Media.

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(Photo source: the company)