Avia Solutions Group chairman: ACMI is becoming core strategy for airlines

Global aviation has not just recovered from the pandemic – it has moved well past where it was before the outbreak. Last year, airlines worldwide carried 5.3 billion passengers, a new all-time record. And with demand continuing to climb, the pressure on airlines to find flexible, cost-effective capacity solutions has never been greater.

Gediminas Ziemelis, founder and chairman of Avia Solutions Group – the world’s largest ACMI provider – has been watching this shift up close. In his view, the industry is at an inflection point: wet leasing, once seen as a last resort, is steadily becoming a mainstream fleet management tool. Here’s why.

The supply gap that won’t go away

On paper, 2025 looked encouraging for aircraft manufacturers. Boeing returned to profitability, and Airbus slightly exceeded its own production targets. But the underlying supply problem has not gone away. Since 2018, around 3,400 narrowbody and 1,400 widebody aircraft that were originally on order have never been delivered – the result of compounding supply chain disruptions and quality control issues that manufacturers are still working through.

For airlines, the impact is already visible: fleets are ageing, leases on older aircraft are being extended, and MRO providers are operating at high utilization. While production rates are expected to improve, the gap between demand and supply is unlikely to close in the near future.

“Fleet renewal will happen, but not for another three or four years. Growing passenger demand has to be met right now,” says Ziemelis. He expects 2026 to set yet another passenger record.

From last resort to long-term strategy

Avia Solutions Group offers ACMI services – fully crewed, insured and operationally ready aircraft for lease. Until recently, airlines turned to this model only when something went wrong, whether due to a grounded aircraft, a crew strike, or an unexpected surge in demand. That perception is now changing.

Increasingly, large full-service carriers are incorporating ACMI into their long-term planning rather than treating it as a contingency. The flexibility it offers is a significant part of the appeal. Airlines can scale capacity up or down without taking on long-term financial commitments. They can also manage seasonal troughs – Ziemelis estimates that up to 40% of Europe’s narrowbody fleet sits idle in winter – and explore new routes with limited exposure. A three-month ACMI contract is enough to put a new destination to the test; if it doesn’t work, walking away is straightforward.

More than 60 airlines have already used Avia Solutions Group’s ACMI services. Industry analysts suggest that in an optimized market, around 6% of any airline’s fleet would consist of wet-leased aircraft, implying global demand for over a thousand ACMI-operated jets.

Investing in next-generation aircraft

Avia Solutions Group operates a fleet of 145 aircraft, and last February signed a landmark deal: a direct order with Boeing for 40 new 737 MAX jets, with options for 40 more. It marked the first time an ACMI operator has placed an order of this scale directly with a manufacturer.

For Ziemelis, it is a matter of keeping pace. Premium airline clients expect modern aircraft, and the MAX offers significantly longer range, opening up routes that older narrowbodies simply cannot serve. Environmental pressure is another factor: as regulators tighten emissions standards, airlines are under pressure to retire older, less efficient jets, and they expect the same from their ACMI partners.

“By 2030, I want us to have a fleet that meets the expectations of even the most demanding clients,” says Ziemelis.

Following the seasons south

One of the structural advantages of a global ACMI operation is the ability to shift aircraft to where it is actually in demand. When European carriers wind down for winter, markets in the Southern Hemisphere are entering their peak travel season. Avia Solutions Group has been building its presence in Asia-Pacific and Latin America precisely to take advantage of this dynamic.

“When it’s winter in Europe, Jakarta and São Paulo are at their busiest. Our aircraft migrate like birds,” says Ziemelis.

He also points to a broader growth trend. Aviation in markets south of the equator is expanding rapidly. ACMI gives local carriers a way to capture that growth without having to wait years for new aircraft deliveries.

Avia Solutions Group has established or acquired airlines in Brazil, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia over recent years. Its MRO subsidiary FL Technics is expanding in parallel: a new hangar in the Dominican Republic is due to be completed this year, and maintenance capacity in Jakarta is set to double by the end of 2026.

Changing minds in a conservative industry

Ziemelis is candid about the pace of change. “Aviation is a very conservative sector. The major carriers approach ACMI rather cautiously – as they do with any new concept. Reaching agreements with the key market players takes time, because they need to adjust their strategies and accept additional risk,” he says.

There are also lingering misconceptions to overcome. Some carriers still associate ACMI with older aircraft and inconsistent service – an assumption that Ziemelis says makes education and transparency essential to the sales process. Scale helps too: when an airline is leasing ten or more aircraft, it becomes possible to offer genuinely customized solutions rather than off-the-shelf arrangements.

Contracts vary widely. Some airlines have standardized their ACMI procurement, while others negotiate each deal from scratch. Avia Solutions Group handles all of it – multi-year agreements, seasonal contracts, and standby arrangements for unforeseen disruptions.

“Our network now covers six continents and 68 countries. We can be where we’re needed, when we’re needed,” says Ziemelis.

Gediminas Ziemelis regularly shares his insights on LinkedIn and YouTube. Follow him for more on ACMI trends and the future of global aviation.The post Avia Solutions Group chairman: ACMI is becoming core strategy for airlines appeared first on AeroTime.

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