Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority approves Longtail Aviation first dedicated all-cargo aircraft

The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority announced the addition of a B747-400F Freighter to Longtail Aviation’s fleet and the Bermuda Aircraft Registry following approval and issuance of Operations Specifications last Friday. Longtail Aviation, Bermuda’s only AOC holder added the Freighter to its VIP Charter Business as its first dedicated all-cargo aircraft. As Bermuda’s regulator, the BCAA is responsible for the approval of all Longtail Aviation’s commercial air transport, whether it is for passenger or cargo use. 

Director of Operations at BCCA, Peter Adhemar, said “The BCAA’s rigorous approval process requires Longtail Aviation to comply with a set of very stringent regulations. It is a huge achievement to both BCAA and Longtail to have added this aircraft in such a short timeframe. The process involved a team of five people in Operations and two people in Airworthiness to complete.

“We were working to an ambitious timeline and with COVID-19 travel restrictions in place we developed innovative procedures thanks to the communication advances made available to BCAA staff working from home. This ensured that full regulatory compliance was achieved despite not holding a single face-to-face in office meeting or inspection.”

This particular aircraft will be used for ad-hoc cargo uplift requirements, which is currently in high demand due tocargo space being greatly reduced as numerous passenger aircraft are grounded. Under floor cargo on passenger aircraft contributed immensely to cargo operations prior to the pandemic.

Martin Amick, Longtail Aviation CEO, commented “This is an excellent time to add a heavy-lifting cargo aircraft because the global supply chain is under duress. Additional long-range, heavy aircraft are critically needed to move medical supplies from China to the West and this new aircraft will help meet that need.”

Peter Adhemar added, “As always, it has been a pleasure working with the Longtail Aviation team on this venture and we look forward to continuing our partnership and continuing to upkeep the highest standards for Bermuda-based Aviation.”

The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) is responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of aviation in Bermuda, and all aircraft on the Bermuda Aircraft Registry. With over 850+ aircraft, the Bermuda Aircraft Registry is the largest offshore Aircraft Registry in the world.