Aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance, widely known as “ACMI” services, are currently considered the most common method of outsourcing operations for airlines.
The ACMI operations model is the popular aviation equivalent of dialing an Uber in the automotive industry. However, instead of a car, a client would have access to private jet or commercial aircraft for a designated period without large capital investment, maintenance issues, or operational hassles.
Market forecasts conducted by aircraft manufacturers estimate demand for 43,000 new commercial passenger and freighter aircraft by 2042.
The rising global demand for ACMI services across passenger and cargo operations is predicted to become a key factor in an expected revenue increase.
AeroTime has compiled a list of 10 airlines and airline groups that could be considered leaders in the global market in terms of aircraft fleet size.
SmartLynx Airlines / Avia Solutions Group
1. Avia Solutions Group – 180 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: “Avion Express“ Lithuania, “Avion Express“ Malta, “Air Explore“ Slovakia, “KlasJet” Lithuania, “BBN Nordic” Iceland, BBN Indonesia, “SmartLynx Airlines” Estonia, “Smartlynx Airlines“ Latvia, “Smartlynx Airlines” Malta. AOC under development in Australia, Brazil, Thailand and Turkey.
Avia Solutions Group (ASG) is recognized as the largest ACMI and charter services provider in the world and the second-largest Irish-based aviation business behind low-cost carrier Ryanair.
ASG operates across 68 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Its services include full and customized ACMI leasing, including long-term, ad-hoc wet and damp leasing as well as extensive air charter operations.
Its subsidiary airlines, which operate both passenger and cargo aircraft worldwide, include ACMI operators SmartLynx Airlines, Avion Express, AirExplore, Bluebird Nordic, BBN Indonesia Airlines, KlasJet and Magma Aviation . It holds nine AOC in Europe and plans to announce an AOC in Indonesia by July 2023.
Avion Express, together with its subsidiary Avion Express Malta, is a leading narrow-body ACMI and charter operator. It provides short and long-term aircraft wet leasing, as well as charter services to scheduled and charter airlines and tour operators. Avion Express operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.
SmartLynx Airlines is recognized as a global provider of ACMI, cargo and charter services. The airline holds Latvian, Estonian, and Maltese AOC and is subsidiaries include SmartLynx Airlines Estonia and SmartLynx Airlines Malta. SmartLynx Airlines operates a fleet of Airbus A320, A321 and A330 aircraft as well as Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The airline expects to operate a fleet of 65 aircraft by the end of 2023.
KlasJet provides private and business jet charter services as well as ACMI services to global clientele. The airline operates a fleet, dedicated to private charter and ACMI, consisting of Boeing 737-800s, Boeing 737-BBJ2, Challenger 850s, and Boeing 737 series aircraft.
Bluebird Nordic provides import and export airfreight services worldwide including wet lease services to integrators like ASL/FedEx, UPS and DHL, charter brokers as well as other cargo airlines. The airline operates an all-Boeing fleet consisting of Boeing 737-300SFs, 737-400SFs, Boeing 737-BCFs. The airline also has four Boeing 777 aircraft, scheduled for passenger-to-freight conversions.
BBN Airlines Indonesia specializes in providing air freight cargo services, allowing clients to meet capacity challenges across the Southern Hemisphere. Operating from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, its fleet consists of Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737-800F aircraft.
Magma Aviation commercially markets dedicated wide-body cargo aircraft capacity, contracted on an exclusive basis from third-party airlines. The airline operates a fleet of five Boeing 747-400F aircraft
In June 2023, ASG acquired Bratislava-based airline, AirExplore, as part of its worldwide business development and expansion. AirExplore operates 10 Boeing 737-800 type aircraft, comprised of eight passenger and two freighter aircraft.
Alongside its ACMI business the group provides a range of aviation services including aircraft leasing and trading, MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul), pilot and crew training, ground handling, as well as a variety of associated services. It is supported by a global team of 11,500 highly skilled aviation professionals.
As of June 2023, ASG operates a combined fleet of 180 aircraft comprised of 140 passenger aircraft and 40 cargo freighters.
Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock.com
2. ASL Aviation Holdings – 160 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: “ASL Airlines” Ireland, “ASL Airlines” Belgium, “ASL Airlines” United Kingdom, “ASL Airlines” France, Pionair Australia, Safair, FlySafair, K-Mile Asia.
ASL Aviation Holdings is an aviation services company providing ACMI airline operations and both scheduled and charter cargo and passenger services.
The company operates seven airlines based in Europe, South Africa, and Asia. Its airlines are recognized under its brand ASL Airlines, which includes ASL Airlines Ireland, -Belgium, -France and -United Kingdom as well as Pionair Australia, belonging to ASL Aviation Group which is a global operator of passenger, ACMI and leasing services.
Dating back to 1970, the company was formally established as ASL Aviation Group in June 2008.
In 2017 the ASL holding company was renamed ASL Aviation Holdings.
The company’s network of airlines also includes joint ventures and associate airlines, namely Safair, FlySafair and K-Mile Asia.
In 2015, the company’s European airlines rebranded as ASL Airlines.
In 2018, during a restructuring process, the company closed its ASL Airlines Spain branch and integrated ASL Airlines Switzerland into ASL Airlines Ireland.
In 2021, the company launched its newest cargo airline, ASL Airlines United Kingdom.
On April 2, 2023, ASL Aviation Holdings acquired Sydney-based Pionair, an Australian airline that provides charter and ACMI services.
With its network of airlines based in Europe, Africa, and Asia, ASL Aviation Group works with global express parcel integrators and postal networks and boasts the world’s largest fleet of Boeing-converted B737-800 freighters, the largest European fleet of B737 Freighters and being the first operator of the ATR 72-600 Custom-Built Freighter.
According to its fleet data the company’s fleet includes 45 Boeing 737-800Fs, 37 Boeing 737-400Fs, one Boeing 737-400 combi, five Boeing 747-400Fs, three Airbus A330-300Fs, four A300-600Fs, five ATR 72-200Fs, five ATR 72-500Fs, six ATR 72-600Fs, two Boeing 737-300QCs, five Boeing 737-400, one Boeing 737-700 and 26 Boeing 737-800.
Adomas Daunoravicius / Shutterstock.com
3. Atlas Air Worldwide – 109 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: Atlas Air, Titan Aviation, Polar Air Cargo.
Atlas Air Worldwide (AAWW) is the world’s largest Boeing 747 freighter operator. Headquartered in Purchase, New York, the company provides outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services.
AAWW’s subsidiaries include cargo airline Atlas Air and Titan Aviation Holdings, and the company also has a majority shareholding in cargo airline Polar Air Cargo Worldwide.
Combined with its subsidiaries, AAWW operates a fleet of Boeing 747, 777, 767 and 737 aircraft for domestic, regional, and international cargo operations.
The major cargo airline was established in 1992 and commenced operations with a single 747-200 converted freighter. AAWW currently operates a fleet of more than 50 Boeing 747s also known as “Queen of the Skies”.
The last 747 to be produced by Boeing was delivered to Atlas Air in January 2023. The delivery marked the final of four new Boeing 747-8 Freighters ordered by Atlas two years prior in January 2021.
Karolis Kavolelis / Shutterstock.com
4. Air Transport Services Group – 91 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: ABX Air, Air Transport International and Omni Air International.
Air Transport Services Group (ATGS) is a US-based holding company that provides aircraft leasing, air cargo lift, passenger ACMI and charter services as well as aircraft maintenance services and airport ground services.
The company’s ACMI and dry lease services are delivered through its three airline subsidiaries: ABX Air, Air Transport International and Omni Air International.
ATGS’s airlines operate a passenger and midsize freighter fleet of all-Boeing aircraft. This consists of Boeing 767-300s, 767-200s, 757-200s and B777-200s, ch-aviation data indicates
ATGS, which is headquartered in Wilmington, Ohio, is also the world’s largest lessor of freighter aircraft and the largest owner and operator of converted B767 freighters.
Vytautas Kielaitis / Shutterstock.com
5. Air Atlanta Icelandic – 21 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: Air Atlanta Icelandic, Air Atlanta Europe.
Air Atlanta Icelandic and Air Atlanta Europe are sister airlines flying under the Air Atlanta brand, which provide ACMI (wet lease) and charter services worldwide for cargo and charter flights.
Air Atlanta Icelandic was established in 1986 and holds an Icelandic Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by the Icelandic Transport Authority, while Air Atlanta Europe was established in 2021 in Malta and holds a Maltese AOC issued by Transport Malta Civil Aviation Directorate.
In 2020, Air Atlanta flew to 142 airports and 86 countries.
According to ch-avaition data, Air Atlanta Icelandic operates an all-Boeing fleet of 13 Boeing 747-400Fs while Air Atlanta Europe operates a fleet of six Boeing 747-400s and two Boeing 777-300ERs.
Air Atlanta operates a combined fleet of 21 ACMI dedicated aircraft.
InsectWorld / Shutterstock.com
6. Titan Airways – 15 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: Titan Airways, Titan Airways Malta.
Titan Airways is a UK-based charter airline recognized for providing ACMI leasing services, as well as passenger and cargo air charter services.
First established in 1993, the airline has developed a diverse clientele and a list of unique charter flights and operations to uncommon destinations.
In November 2019, Titan Airways landed the first Boeing 767 in Antartica, the largest passenger jet to ever land there at the time. The airline operated this flight as part of a series between Cape Town and Novolazarevskaya, a Russian Antarctic research station.
Three years later, on November 13, 2022, the UK airline delivered the FIFA World Cup Trophy to host nation Qatar on an A320, one week before the start of the tournament.
Titan Airways, together with its subsidiary Titan Airways Malta, offers its services with a mixed fleet of passenger and cargo aircraft.
The combined cargo fleet of the airlines consists of passenger-to-freighter converted A321s and A330-300s, as well as Boeing 737-400 freighters. Its passenger fleet includes Airbus A320-200s, A321-200s, A321 neo LRs, A330-200 and Boeing 757-200s and 767-200s.
According to ch-aviation data, Titan Airways and Titan Airways Malta operate a fleet of 15 aircraft.
Renatas Repcinskas / Shutterstock.com
7. GetJet Airlines – 12 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: GetJet Airlines.
GetJet Airlines is an IOSA-registered airline headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, offering a range of ACMI and charter services to international airlines including tour operators in the Baltics.
Aiming to gain a stronger foothold in the European market, the airline took over chartered flights from Vilnius (VNO) previously operated by the now-defunct Lithuanian leisure carrier, Small Planet Airlines.
Founded in March 2016 GetJet Airlines obtained the necessary European Union licenses and commenced its first commercial operations in the same year with a single Boeing 737-400. A year later the airline added three Boeing 737-400s and three Boeing 737-300s to its fleet, and in 2019 the airline operated its first wide-body aircraft, an Airbus A330neo
GetJet Airlines data indicates that its fleet consists of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft. According to ch-aviation fleet data, the airline operates 12 passenger and cargo aircraft consisting of eight Airbus A320-200s and four Boeing 737-800s.
Thiago B Trevisan / Shutterstock.com
8. Wamos Air – 11 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: Wamos Air.
Wamos Air is a Spain-based charter and wet and damp lease airline headquartered in Madrid, and a provider of long-haul air transport worldwide. From its main base at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD), it operates an all-Airbus A330 long-haul fleet offering services to airlines and other entities.
It was formerly known as Pullmantur Air, which was established in 2003. By 2008 the airline operated a fleet of up to four Boeing 747-400s.
In 2014 the airline rebranded to Wamos Air, and increased its fleet to 12 aircraft in 2019, consisting of five B747-400s and seven A330-200s.
Fleet data indicates that Wamos Air operates a modernized fleet of 11 Airbus A330s, comprised of six A330-300s and five A330-200s for various airlines around the world.
Amezukakofun / Wikimedia Commons
9. Hi Fly – 10 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: Hi Fly, Hi Fly Malta.
Hi Fly is an ACMI airline based in Lisbon, Portugal. The airline does not operate scheduled flights but is focused on medium to long-term contracts for other airlines, tour operators, governments, and private clients.
The company entered the ACMI market in 2006, after it was granted a Portuguese AOC and gained the necessary European Union regulations specifying minimum safety and safety-related procedures for both commercial passenger and cargo operations (EU-OPS).
The Portuguese ACMI airline used to operate a single Airbus A330-300 jet, one of the most common wide-body aircraft types in the European region.
In 2008, Hi Fly increased its number of planes to two A310-300s, but further development of the airline did not stop there.
In July 2018, Hi Fly became the only ACMI operator to operate a former Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 on the second-hand market. However, the aircraft, registered as 9H-MIP, was permanently retired after its final flight (HFM380) on December 17, 2020, from Beja International Airport (BYJ) in Portugal to Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS).
As of February 21, 2023, the airline’s fleet data indicated that it operates a monogamous fleet of 10 Airbus-only aircraft, consisting of one A319-100, one A321-200, two A330-200s, one A330-300 and five A340-300 aircraft.
Markus Mainka / Wikimedia Commons
10. EuroAtlantic Airways – 6 aircraft
Air Operator Certificates: EuroAtlantic Airways.
EuroAtlantic Airways is a schedule and non-schedule Portuguese airline that specializes in charter services, wet leasing, and ad-hoc flights.
First established as Air Zarco in August 1993, the airline operated as Air Maderia until May 2000 when it became EuroAtlantic Airways.
The company, which is based in Lisbon, operates to the US and Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South Americas, Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific, Australia, and Oceania.
EuroAtlantic Airways is also known for operating the last American wide-body trijet airliner, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, for passenger flights across various European destinations.
The last L-1011 TriStar aircraft was phased out in March 2010.
The airline currently offers ACMI services via its all-Boeing fleet, which is composed of three Boeing 767-300ERs and two Boeing 777-200ER passenger aircraft, alongside a single Boeing 777-200ER dedicated to cargo services only.
