Air Astra has begun its preparations to undergo the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) before starting commercial operations.

The airliner started the 5-day IOSA Airline Auditor Training at its own training center in Dhaka on June 13, said a press release.

The IOSA programme is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain their IATA membership.

Initially set back by post-Covid aircraft leasing market uncertainties hindering the airline’s plans to launch by Q1 2022, Air Astra has secured 3x ATR72-600 aircraft on lease and is on track to commence commercial flight operations across the domestic network in Bangladesh in September, 2022.