Granted by the civil aviation authority in a given country, the air operator’s certificate (AOC) is the single most important approval a commercial airline needs before it can begin flying and selling tickets to passengers.
The most common reasons for a carrier to have its AOC suspended or revoked are either a failed safety audit or a financial situation that calls into question the airline’s future ability to remain in business.
Carriers that have lost their AOCs since the start of 2026 include British charter airline Pen-Avia, Brazilian airline Total Linhas Aéreas, Austrian airline Mali Air, Westair Aviation in Ireland, and AirAiles in France.
This week, the list expanded to include Portuguese charter and specialized private aviation operator OMNI Aviação.
OMNI Aviação enters insolvency after losing license
OMNI Aviação was established in 1988 out of a general and private airport in Cascais, the coastal town approximately 20 miles from Lisbon that has long attracted some of the country’s wealthiest residents.
The company provided chartered private jet flights and aircraft management and maintenance, as well as general aviation services such as air ambulance transfers.
Related: The airport with the least satisfied customers is hardly a surprise
As first reported by ch-aviation, OMNI Aviação has entered the insolvency process in Portuguese court and subsequently had its AOC suspended due to what is likely an unviable financial situation.
The details of OMNI Aviação’s situation are not publicly available.
Without an active AOC, a carrier is unable to get off the ground, so any flights OMNI Aviação may have scheduled for the coming weeks and months are canceled by default.
The airline could not immediately be reached for comment on its plans following the insolvency and license suspension.
Benoit BACOU / Getty Images
What is the current state of Portuguese charter flight operator OMNI Aviação?
OMNI Aviação is one of the most recognized private air travel providers in Portugal.
The business model of serving a niche group of ultra-wealthy travelers looking to fly private can sometimes prove risky for a carrier if the necessary bookings ultimately do not come in.
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In the U.S., charter seaplane airline Tailwind Air similarly lost its license in January 2025 after branding itself as a luxury transportation company, but then struggling to bring in the necessary traffic on its routes between Northeastern cities such as New York and Boston.
Airlines that lost their AOCs in 2026:
- Izhavia: The Russian regional airline had its AOC revoked by the country’s aviation regulatory agency in July 2026 as Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine left the country’s aviation industry crippled by a lack of Western parts and a reduced ability to ensure maintenance standards.
- Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba: The Caribbean branch of the African charter airline Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba lost its AOC in May 2026. The Aruban branch was established in 2017 to run flights between the Caribbean countries of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
- Starflite Aviation: The Houston-based carrier had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
- AlpAvia: The Slovenian charter airline also shut down in March 2026 over financial problems.
Related: Another airline cancels all flights for 30 days amid financial troubles
