Avia Solutions Group – the largest ACMI group in the world. What are its future ambitions?

Today, the Irish company is the world’s largest provider of aircraft leasing with crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI), operating in 68 countries. However, growth opportunities are far from exhausted, and, as the Group’s CEO Jonas Janukenas states, upcoming plans include expanding the network of ACMI airlines and the aircraft fleet worldwide, with special focus on the Asian and Latin American regions.

ACMI – not an airline emergency service, but a smart strategy

The Group’s main driver of growth is the rising popularity of ACMI services. Its ACMI companies lease their passenger and cargo aircraft to the world’s major airlines. 

According to Janukenas, over the past decade airlines have come to regard such temporary capacity additions not as a lifeline during aircraft breakdowns but as a strategic tool in fleet management.

“Increasingly, major traditional airlines accept ACMI as part of their long-term strategy. The logic is simple – in Europe, airlines earn most of their profit during the 4–6 warm months of the year, when flight demand is highest. In winter, demand drops sharply. To meet seasonal demand, airlines need additional aircraft capacity. Partnerships with ACMI airlines allow them to expand their fleet when demand peaks, without long-term financial commitments. Moreover, airlines themselves don’t have to worry about hiring additional crews or handling aircraft maintenance or insurance – we take care of everything,” Janukenas explains.

The Group leverages this seasonality by moving aircraft between different hemispheres – deploying them in Europe during summer and transferring them to Asia or South America for winter. This model requires not only strategic planning but also significant operational scale.

“To be a reliable ACMI partner for airlines worldwide, you need a global airline network and a service ecosystem so that you can offer various solutions. We can ensure this by having not only aircraft and ACMI airlines, but also maintenance bases, ground-handling companies, and even our own pilot training centers,” Janukenas emphasizes.

A global ACMI network

Avia Solutions Group is currently expanding in markets where aviation seasonality is opposite to Europe – the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America. This year alone, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia joined the Group’s ACMI network.

“We’re talking about markets whose combined populations exceed that of the European Union – enormous opportunities. But obtaining air operator certificates is not a goal in itself. It’s a means to create a network for relocating aircraft between regions, as many countries restrict foreign ACMI companies’ operations in their domestic markets,” says Janukenas.

The Group’s geographic expansion is accompanied by new aircraft maintenance infrastructure. FL Technics, an aircraft maintenance and repair company operating in Indonesia for nearly a decade, opened a new hangar in Bali last year, and this year will complete hangar construction in the Dominican Republic.

“The new hangars are designed to meet both local market needs and to service our growing aircraft fleet in those regions,” explains the Group’s CEO.

Future vision – new 737 MAX aircraft and a headquarters in the aviation capital

In February, Avia Solutions Group signed an agreement with U.S. manufacturer Boeing for 80 new 737 MAX aircraft – 40 ordered and purchase rights for an additional 40. It was the first time an ACMI company placed such a large direct order with a manufacturer.

“Europe is still our main market, and airports here increasingly recommend using new, less environmentally harmful aircraft. The newest models burn 18–20 percent less fuel and are more eco-friendly. For example, at London Heathrow Airport, it costs USD 2–2.5 million less per month for a new aircraft to take off and land compared to an older one,” calculates Janukenas.

The Group is headquartered in Dublin – a city of special importance to the global aviation industry – with additional offices in London, Singapore, the Philippines, and other cities worldwide. Expansion is also planned in the rapidly growing Middle East region – the Group intends to open a new office in the UAE.

People – the key to success

Avia Solutions Group employs more than 14,000 aviation specialists, including 2,500 in Vilnius, where the Group began its business journey. The team is multicultural – in Lithuania alone, more than 70 nationalities are represented.

According to the Group’s CEO, maintaining unity in pursuit of common goals in a rapidly growing global organization is possible thanks to the right people – the company places major focus on employee training, development, and attracting new talent.

“We operate worldwide, so we can offer truly international career opportunities. Many people in high-level positions across various countries are Lithuanians who have worked in the Group for over a decade. However, we also successfully hire experienced aviation executives from abroad, especially for our expansion in Asia and other regions,” Janukenas says.

He notes that the Group’s growth ultimately depends on the capacity it can provide to clients. “We are consistently expanding our aircraft fleet, but that alone is not enough. Only with strong leaders, sales teams, and other specialists can we deliver on our promises and ensure that our operations bring maximum value to our clients,” concludes Janukenas.