Frankfurt Hahn-based start-up Air Cargo Germany (ACG) has received its air operator’s certificate (AOC) from the German authorities and expects to start commercial operations shortly.

ACG CEO Michael Bock said the AOC had taken several months to obtain and the carrier was now “eager to be airborne", without giving a specific launch date.

He said the aircraft would initially be used for charter flights “with scheduled services to follow".

Earlier this year, ACG took delivery of the first of two ex-China Airlines B747-400SFs from Avion Aircraft Trading. The second is at KLM’s paint shop at Amsterdam Airport and is scheduled to be ferried to Hahn at the end of this month.

Scheduled services could include Hahn, Moscow, Shanghai and Hahn, Istanbul, Bombay, Hong Kong routes.