10 Airlines Using Wet-Leased Aircraft in 2026 and Why

In 2026, airlines like Eurowings and Austrian Airlines are using wet-leased aircraft to add capacity during busy travel periods. These deals give carriers an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance package from another operator.

You might spot a different airline’s aircraft or crew on your flight, especially during the 2026 summer rush. The airline you booked with still handles your ticket, but another carrier might run the actual flight.

This article digs into 10 airlines using ACMI capacity, their leasing partners, and why wet leases matter in aviation.

How Wet Leasing and ACMI Work

Wet leasing—also called ACMI—gives you an aircraft plus the people and services needed to fly it. The leasing airline manages the commercial side, while the operator takes care of safety and flight control.

What Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance Includes

In an ACMI agreement, the provider brings the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance. You get a ready-to-fly aircraft instead of just the metal.

The provider usually sends the flight crew, cabin crew, scheduled maintenance, aircraft insurance, and technical support. Their crews follow their own procedures and training.

You typically pay an hourly aircraft rate, based on block hours. You’ll also cover costs like fuel, airport fees, ground handling, navigation charges, catering, and taxes.

Terms vary by contract, so it’s smart to check which costs you’ll handle before you sign.

Operational Control, AOC, and Crew Responsibilities

The wet-lease provider usually keeps operational control. They handle flight safety, crew scheduling, maintenance, dispatch standards, and decisions about whether a flight can go.

They fly under their air operator certificate (AOC), which is basically their license to run commercial flights. In the U.S., the FAA oversees these approvals and sets the rules for wet-lease deals.

Your airline might sell the tickets and use its flight number, but you could board an aircraft with another operator’s crew and branding.

The captain has the final word on the aircraft and safety. Both flight and cabin crew follow the operating carrier’s manuals, training, and safety reporting.

Wet Lease vs. Damp Lease vs. Dry Lease

A wet lease gives you the full ACMI package. It’s handy when you need capacity fast—think peak travel months, maintenance delays, or delivery gaps.

A damp lease is sort of a middle ground. The provider supplies the aircraft and flight crew, but you might provide some or all cabin crew. This helps you keep your onboard style, but it means you need clear rules for training and safety.

A dry lease just gets you the aircraft. You handle the AOC, pilots, cabin crew, maintenance, and insurance.

The 10 Airlines and Their 2026 Partners

Wet leases help airlines add aircraft and crews during busy times. You might book with one airline but end up flying on a jet run by someone else.

Eurowings: GetJet Airlines, Avion Express Malta, and Smartwings

Eurowings expects to add up to 19 wet-leased aircraft for summer 2026. Its partners include GetJet Airlines, Avion Express Malta, and Smartwings.

These operators supply aircraft, flight crews, maintenance, and insurance through ACMI agreements. Eurowings uses these jets to beef up its European schedule during summer peaks.

Check your booking before you travel. Your ticket and flight number might say Eurowings, but the actual plane and crew could come from one of these ACMI partners.

Austrian Airlines: airBaltic, Braathens, and Air Dolomiti

Austrian Airlines plans to use 11 wet-leased aircraft in summer 2026. It teams up with airBaltic, Braathens, and Air Dolomiti for parts of its Vienna network.

airBaltic brings the Airbus A220-300, a modern narrowbody jet for short- and medium-haul routes. Air Dolomiti offers regional jets like the Embraer E190-family, while Braathens supports with ATR72-600 turboprops.

These partners help Austrian Airlines match plane size to each route. They also give the Lufthansa Group some wiggle room when its own fleet gets stretched.

Swiss and SAS Scandinavian Airlines: Regional ACMI Capacity

Swiss uses regional wet-lease capacity to back up its European flights from Zurich. This helps Swiss keep frequent service on routes that don’t need a big Airbus.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines turns to CityJet for regional flying. CityJet runs aircraft under the SAS brand, including regional jets on Nordic and European routes.

Usually, the main difference for you is the operator listed on your flight. Airport service and ticket rules stick with Swiss or SAS.

Air Serbia, Finnair, Brussels Airlines, Arkia, and Sun d’Or

Air Serbia taps outside ACMI capacity, including jets from KlasJet, to support its Belgrade schedule. KlasJet runs Boeing 737s and can help when demand spikes.

Finnair uses regional partners for smaller domestic and Nordic routes, where ATR72 aircraft fit better than bigger jets. Brussels Airlines also leans on wet-leased capacity within Europe during busy stretches.

In Israel, Arkia and El Al’s leisure brand Sun d’Or bring in outside operators for seasonal flying. These deals let airlines add planes fast without growing their permanent fleet.

Eurowings’ 19-Aircraft Summer Capacity Plan

Eurowings aims to add up to 19 wet-leased aircraft during the peak summer weeks of 2026. The Lufthansa Group carrier will use Airbus A320s from GetJet Airlines and Avion Express Malta, plus Boeing 737s from Smartwings, at three German bases.

GetJet Airlines Airbus A320 Operations From Hamburg

Eurowings will use six Airbus A320s from Lithuania-based GetJet Airlines at Hamburg. This is GetJet’s first reported wet-lease role in Eurowings’ summer program.

The planes will fly for Eurowings with GetJet’s crew, maintenance, and insurance. That’s the classic ACMI wet lease setup.

You might spot GetJet flights on Hamburg routes during busy holidays. Eurowings can add seats without growing its own fleet, which helps meet higher summer demand for European routes.

Avion Express Malta Bases in Düsseldorf and Stuttgart

Avion Express Malta will provide eight Airbus A320s for Eurowings in summer 2026. These jets will fly from Düsseldorf and Stuttgart, two key German bases.

Expect these aircraft to jump in when demand rises, especially on short- and medium-haul routes. Eurowings still sells the tickets, plans the network, and sets customer service standards.

Avion Express Malta is already a regular ACMI provider for Eurowings. Using its A320s keeps things simple and consistent with Eurowings’ main fleet.

Smartwings Boeing 737 Flights From Cologne

Smartwings will supply five Boeing 737 aircraft from Cologne/Bonn for Eurowings’ 2026 summer schedule. Unlike the other two, Smartwings brings Boeing jets into a mostly Airbus program.

You might end up on a Smartwings-operated Eurowings flight from Cologne in the busiest weeks. The Czech carrier provides the full wet-lease package, while Eurowings uses the planes to keep its schedule on track.

These five 737s give Eurowings extra flexibility at Cologne, where summer holiday traffic can spike. All together, Smartwings, GetJet, and Avion Express Malta make up the 19 extra aircraft in the plan.

Why Airlines Are Adding ACMI Capacity

ACMI leasing gives airlines an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance package without adding a permanent jet to the fleet. It’s great for covering the 2026 summer season, but usually costs more per hour than using your own planes.

Managing Seasonal Demand and New Route Growth

Wet-leased capacity helps when demand outpaces what your fleet can handle. This happens a lot in the 2026 summer season, when leisure routes need more seats but only for a few months.

An ACMI provider brings a ready-to-fly aircraft with its own crew. You can boost frequencies or use a bigger plane without hiring and training a full crew yourself.

Wet leasing also lets you test new routes with less risk. Instead of buying or dry-leasing a plane for years, you can add capacity for just one season and see how it goes.

You get flexibility, especially when demand shifts by market. After the contract ends, you can shift capacity, instead of parking an unused plane.

Covering Delivery Delays, Groundings, and Crew Gaps

Aircraft delivery delays can leave you short, even if you’ve already sold seats. Supply chain problems can slow new deliveries, delay spare parts, and stretch maintenance visits.

Engine groundings have also cut available aircraft for some airlines. If planes stay out of service longer than expected, an ACMI lease helps you keep routes running.

You get more than just the plane with ACMI. The provider supplies certified crew, maintenance, and insurance, while keeping operational control.

This setup helps if you’re short on crew or facing training bottlenecks. You don’t have to rush to hire and qualify new pilots and cabin crew for a short-term need, though you still manage your network, sales, and customer service.

Balancing Flexibility Against Higher Operating Costs

ACMI capacity usually costs more per block hour than flying an aircraft you already own or dry-lease. You’re paying for the full operating package—crew, maintenance, insurance, and the provider’s aircraft availability.

Compare that cost with the cost of canceling flights. Cancellations often mean passenger rebooking, compensation in some markets, hotel costs, lost revenue, and a hit to customer trust.

Wet leasing can ease the pressure of aircraft financing. You don’t have to tie up capital in buying an aircraft or signing a long-term lease when you might only need it for one season.

You’ll want clear contract terms covering flight hours, fuel, airport charges, delays, branding, and schedule changes. ACMI really shines when you use it to fill a defined gap—like a grounding, delivery delay, or short-term growth—rather than as a bargain substitute for your own fleet.

What Passengers Should Expect on Wet-Leased Flights

A wet-leased aircraft might look nothing like the airline you bought your ticket from. Your booking details, cabin experience, and even safety oversight can involve more than one airline.

Booking, Flight Numbers, and Operating Carrier Disclosure

You usually book with the airline selling the flight, and its flight number appears on your ticket. But another airline might operate the aircraft and provide the crew.

Look for wording like “operated by” in your booking confirmation, the airline’s app, or the airport departure screen. This tells you who’s actually flying the plane and can explain different colors, seats, or uniforms.

Your ticket rules generally come from the marketing airline. These cover baggage, seat selection, changes, refunds, and loyalty points, though some services might vary on the operating carrier.

If there’s a delay, cancellation, or baggage issue, start with the airline that issued your ticket. Airport staff might direct you to the operating carrier for immediate flight info or for items left onboard.

Cabin Service and Aircraft Configuration Differences

A wet-leased aircraft can have a different cabin layout than what you expected. Your assigned seat might still be valid, but seat pitch, power outlets, Wi-Fi, entertainment, and overhead-bin space could be different.

You might see the lessor’s branding, and the cabin crew may wear that airline’s uniform. The crew follows the agreed service plan, but meal choices, drink service, and onboard sales can differ from the usual product.

Check your booking again before departure if seat features are important to you. Airlines sometimes swap the operating aircraft close to travel, especially during busy seasons or disruptions.

Plan for possible differences in accessibility equipment, pet rules, and special-meal options. Confirm these needs with the ticketing airline before you travel.

Safety Oversight and Accountability

A wet lease covers the aircraft, flight crew, cabin crew, maintenance, and insurance. In most cases, the operating carrier keeps operational control and flies under its Air Operator Certificate, or AOC.

That carrier handles crew training, maintenance standards, flight planning, and day-to-day safe operation. The airline selling the ticket also has a duty to choose and monitor a wet-lease partner carefully.

For flights involving the United States, the FAA sets rules for approved operations and may oversee foreign operators under its safety framework. Other aviation authorities apply their own rules based on where the aircraft operates.

You should get the same basic safety protections required for that flight. Listen to the crew’s safety briefing, even if the aircraft and uniforms are unfamiliar.

Wet Leasing in the Wider Aircraft Leasing Market

Wet leases give you immediate flying capacity. Dry leases and sale-leasebacks handle longer-term fleet and financing needs.

The right choice depends on your aircraft availability, crew resources, route approvals, and cash position.

When a Wet Lease Makes More Sense Than a Dry Lease

A wet lease, or ACMI, gives you an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance from the provider. Use it when you need capacity fast but don’t have enough aircraft, pilots, cabin crew, or maintenance support.

This model fits summer peaks, aircraft groundings, delayed deliveries, and new routes. For example, an airline can add flights for a holiday rush without hiring and training new crews for a short-term spike.

A dry lease provides only the aircraft. You supply your own crew, insurance, maintenance, and approvals. It’s better when you need an aircraft for several years and already have the staff and systems to run it.

A damp lease sits in between. The provider usually supplies the aircraft and flight crew, while you provide cabin crew and might take on some operational duties.

How ACMI Differs From Sale-Leaseback

ACMI is mainly an operating solution. You pay an ACMI provider for aircraft capacity, usually by flight hour, while you handle fuel, airport charges, ground services, and commercial decisions like ticket sales.

A sale-leaseback is more of a financing transaction. You sell an aircraft you own to a leasing company, then lease it back. This can free up cash tied up in the aircraft, but you keep flying it.

You still operate the aircraft after a sale-leaseback. Your airline uses its own crew, maintenance, operating certificate, and insurance, unless you separately arrange a wet lease.

The two models can work together. You might use sale-leaseback to boost liquidity for your core fleet, then turn to wet leases to cover a temporary shortage from maintenance delays or seasonal demand.

The Role of Avia Solutions Group and Other Providers

Avia Solutions Group is a big ACMI provider through airlines like Avion Express. These operators specialize in placing aircraft and crews with other airlines, often for seasonal programs or last-minute fleet gaps.

You might see the operating carrier’s aircraft and crew on a flight sold under another airline’s code. The booking airline is responsible for informing passengers and managing the customer journey.

ACMI providers help airlines avoid permanent fleet growth for a temporary problem. They also help carriers keep schedules when aircraft are unavailable due to engine inspections, heavy maintenance, or delivery delays.

Rules still limit how you can use foreign wet-leased aircraft. In Canada, like in other markets, aviation authorities review safety oversight, operating responsibility, and the length or scale of a wet-lease arrangement before approval.

Airlines such as SpiceJet have used leased capacity to support operations during fleet constraints. For you, the key isn’t just finding an aircraft—it’s securing a reliable, approved operator that matches your network and schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wet leases give airlines short-term aircraft capacity when delivery delays, engine groundings, or peak demand limit their own fleets. You may book with one airline but fly on another’s aircraft and crew.

Which airlines are using wet-leased aircraft in 2026?

Airlines using wet-leased aircraft in 2026 include Eurowings, which plans to add up to 19 aircraft with crew for the summer season. Airlines in the former Yugoslavia also plan wet-lease operations, with eleven carriers expected to use this model during summer 2026.

Qantas has used wet-leased widebody aircraft recently, including Finnair Airbus A330-300s operating selected services under Qantas flight numbers through March 2026. The exact operator can change by route, season, and what’s available.

Why are airlines relying on wet leases in 2026?

Airlines use wet leases to fill gaps from delayed aircraft deliveries and grounded planes, including those affected by Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues. A wet lease can get an aircraft flying faster than buying or arranging a long-term lease.

You’ll also see wet leases during busy summer periods, holiday peaks, or when airlines need cover for maintenance. This helps airlines keep schedules without canceling so many flights.

What is included in a wet lease agreement?

A wet lease usually includes the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance. That’s why it’s called an ACMI lease—for those four items.

The operating airline supplies the pilots and cabin crew and is responsible for safe operation. The airline selling your ticket usually handles bookings, fares, and customer support.

Who pays for fuel and airport charges under a wet lease?

The airline hiring the aircraft usually pays for fuel, airport fees, navigation charges, ground handling, and passenger services. These costs are separate from the ACMI rate you pay to the operator.

Contract terms vary. Don’t assume the aircraft operator covers every cost just because it supplies the plane and crew.

What are the main disadvantages of wet leasing aircraft?

Wet leasing often costs more per flight hour than using your own aircraft and crews. The hiring airline also has less control over cabin design, crew uniforms, onboard service, and aircraft age.

You might notice a different seat layout, entertainment system, catering, or baggage arrangement. Airlines have to manage clear passenger notices, since you may expect one airline’s product but end up flying with another operator.

How does wet leasing affect airline schedules and passenger experience?

Wet-leased aircraft can step in when planes are unavailable. They also help airlines add seats on busy routes.

This approach often keeps your ticket, flight number, and booking carrier unchanged. Still, the airline actually flying the plane might not be the one you booked.

Take a look at your booking confirmation and flight status for “operated by” details. The plane, crew, and even the in-flight service might not be what you’re used to.