Boeing 787-9 Wet Lease in 2026: Providers, Deals and Terms
787-9 ACMI flight hours rose 426% in Q2 2026. What a 787-9 wet lease covers, the Norse deals with IndiGo and PIA, who buys Dreamliner capacity and the exit terms to negotiate before signing.
787-9 Wet Lease Demand Is Surging: Where Airlines Find Dreamliner Capacity and What to Negotiate
A 787-9 wet lease gives an airline a long-haul Dreamliner with crew, maintenance and insurance, billed per block hour, without waiting years for a delivery slot. It is now the fastest-growing type in the ACMI market: ch-aviation data shows 787-9 ACMI flight hours rose 426.1% year on year in Q2 2026, lifting the type from 19th to 9th place among ACMI variants.
787-9 ACMI at a glance
What a 787-9 wet lease covers
- Aircraft: a 787-9, typically in a two- or three-class long-haul layout, operated on the lessor's AOC.
- Crew: 787-rated flight crew and cabin crew, including the augmented crew sets needed for ultra-long sectors.
- Maintenance and insurance: line and base maintenance plus hull and liability cover, carried by the lessor.
- Pricing: a block-hour rate against a monthly minimum guarantee. Fuel, handling, landing and overflight charges stay with the airline.
Recent Dreamliner wet leases
| Lessee | Provider | Aircraft | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndiGoIndia to Europe | Norse Atlantic | 6 × 787-9 | Ended July 2026 |
| PIAPakistan to UK | Norse Atlantic | 2 × 787-9 | From November 2026 |
| EtihadAbu Dhabi to Barcelona | Avianca | 787-8 | One year, from October 2026 |
Who buys 787-9 ACMI
Airlines launching long-haul before their own widebodies arrive, carriers re-entering markets such as PIA on UK routes, and network airlines covering engine or delivery gaps. Norse says it is in talks with other airlines on further ACMI deals. Compare operators in our widebody ACMI provider ranking, check UK and EU approval rules in our wet-lease regulations guide, and read the Avianca deal in our October 27 brief.
Frequently asked questions
Who offers Boeing 787-9 wet lease capacity?
Norse Atlantic Airways is the most active 787-9 ACMI provider in 2026, having flown six aircraft for IndiGo and signed two for Pakistan International Airlines from November 2026. Other widebody ACMI specialists and some network carriers place surplus 787s on wet lease seasonally.
How is a 787-9 wet lease priced?
Like other ACMI contracts, a 787-9 wet lease is priced per block hour against a monthly minimum guarantee, with fuel, handling, airport and overflight charges paid by the airline. Rates are quoted case by case and depend on term, crew base, season and configuration.
Need Dreamliner capacity?
Blue Cube Aviation sources 787 and other widebody wet lease capacity for airlines. Send your routes, dates and expected block hours for a quote.
Request a 787-9 Wet Lease Quote →
