ACMI News October 9, 2026: Norse 787 Wet Lease to PIA, Airbus Deliveries, airBaltic Chapter 11
Today’s ACMI brief: Norse Atlantic’s 787-9 wet-lease pivot to PIA, Airbus’s September delivery pace, and what airBaltic’s Chapter 11 filing means for European wet-lease supply.
Widebody wet-lease capacity is changing hands while airBaltic's restructuring reshapes European supply
Three developments define today's capacity market: a Boeing 787-9 operator redirecting idle long-haul metal into new wet-lease deals, Airbus holding a steady delivery pace that still falls short of its annual target, and a Latvian carrier restructuring in a New York courtroom with a wet-lease business that is expected to shrink the most.
What matters today
Norse Atlantic Airways is reported to be placing 787-9s with Pakistan International Airlines after IndiGo's long-haul plans fell away. Airbus delivered roughly 72 aircraft in September on provisional figures. airBaltic is working through Chapter 11 with a €350 million debtor-in-possession commitment still subject to court approval.
Norse Atlantic turns spare 787-9 capacity towards Pakistan International
Norse Atlantic's 787-9 fleet had been committed to IndiGo under a damp-lease arrangement covering up to six aircraft. Boltflight reported in August that Norse was in talks with PIA and Biman Bangladesh over as many as six aircraft, with the IndiGo arrangement due to end on October 31. German outlet Aerotelegraph covered the same wet-lease negotiations. Reports published today point to two 787-9s going to PIA from November 2026.
Commercial terms have not been disclosed, and the PIA start date comes from press reports rather than a Norse or PIA announcement, so it should be treated as indicative until confirmed. The pattern itself is clear. A widebody operator whose anchor customer has stepped back is moving quickly to place the same aircraft with carriers that need long-haul lift but cannot wait for their own deliveries.
For buyers, the practical question is the same one that applies to any widebody programme: who holds the operating certificate, which regulator approves the arrangement, and how maintenance and crew are covered. Our guide to the top widebody ACMI providers in 2026 covers the 787 supply side, and A330-900neo vs 787-9 for ACMI compares the two types on economics.
Airbus keeps pace in September, but the annual target still needs a strong finish
Airbus delivered about 72 aircraft in September, against 73 a year earlier, according to provisional figures reported by Reuters. Through the first eight months of 2026 the manufacturer had handed over 475 aircraft, up 9% on 2025, against a full-year target of 870. Boeing had delivered 418 aircraft over the same eight months.
Hitting 870 means a heavy fourth quarter. Every aircraft that slips past December extends the period in which airlines hold older equipment longer, extend leases, or buy temporary capacity. We covered the demand side of this in why airlines are turning to ACMI in 2026 and in our explainer on using ACMI to cover aircraft delivery delays.
airBaltic's Chapter 11 puts a European wet-lease supplier under restructuring
airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 on September 14 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, with a €350 million debtor-in-possession commitment that still needs court approval. Aerocorner reports that the filing is also meant to cancel or defer deliveries on an order for 40 further Airbus aircraft, and that the carrier's wet-lease business is expected to shrink the most. The airline says flights continue to operate.
airBaltic's A220-300 fleet has been a visible source of European wet-lease capacity, and Bondoro's analysis puts ACMI revenue at roughly a fifth of 2025 revenue. A smaller ACMI offer means fewer A220s for the customers who depend on them, including airlines that wet-lease A220s for Lufthansa Group or seasonal programmes.
Customers should check what happens to contracted aircraft, crews and approvals if the supplier changes its plan mid-season. We set out the checks in ACMI provider failure risk and how airlines protect capacity, and the regulatory side in wet lease regulations: EU and UK approval rules. For the aircraft itself, see A220-100 vs E190-E2 for ACMI and E195-E2 vs A220-300 for ACMI.
The capacity-market takeaway
Supply and demand are both moving at once. Widebody capacity is being re-marketed as one customer exits and others step in, new-aircraft deliveries are improving without clearing the backlog, and one of Europe's more visible A220 wet-lease suppliers is shrinking that side of its business while it restructures.
For airlines buying ACMI, the lesson is to look past the block-hour rate. Counterparty strength, regulatory approval time and substitution rights now carry as much weight as price. For providers, speed in re-marketing idle aircraft separates a healthy fleet from a stranded one.
Related reading from recent days: our October 6 brief on freighter leases, AerCap and GetJet and the October 5 aviation and ACMI brief. For the European operator landscape, see the top 10 ACMI airlines in Europe.
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