> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.acmiworld.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Top 10 ACMI Customers in 2026: Who Buys Wet Lease Capacity - URL: https://www.acmiworld.com/top-10-acmi-customers-in-2026-who-buys-wet-lease-capacity/ - Published: 2026-10-24T10:16:50.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T10:16:50.000Z - Description: The top 10 ACMI customers in 2026, from Lufthansa Group, Amazon Air and DHL Express to Qantas, SAS, Virgin Australia and flydubai. See who buys wet lease capacity, which operators fly for them, the aircraft involved and what each buyer checks before signing an ACMI contract. - Author: ACMI World - Tags: ACMI Lease ## The Ten Buyers Keeping the Wet Lease Market Flying in 2026 Most coverage of the wet lease market looks at the operators: who has the aircraft, the crews and the AOCs. This ranking looks at the other side of the contract. The airlines, integrators and pilgrimage carriers listed here sign the largest and most consistent ACMI deals, and their decisions set the season for everyone who supplies them. The supply side is concentrated. Flight-hour data from ch-aviation, [reported by Flightradar24 in July 2026](https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/aviation-news/the-worlds-largest-acmi-airlines-ranked-by-flight-hours/?ref=acmiworld.com), put airBaltic top with 19,547 ACMI hours in the second quarter of 2026, followed by Alliance Airlines, Avion Express Malta, Helvetic Airways and Wamos Air. Look at who those hours were flown for and the same handful of customers keeps appearing. For the operator view, see our rankings of the [top ACMI airlines in Europe](https://www.acmiworld.com/top-10-acmi-airlines-in-europe/) and the [top cargo ACMI providers](https://www.acmiworld.com/top-10-cargo-acmi-providers-in-2026-freighter-wet-lease-operators/). This list covers **the ten largest and most active ACMI customers in 2026**. Buyers were assessed on the number of aircraft under contract, contract length, how many providers they use, and how central wet lease capacity is to their network. **Main buyers** European network groups, express integrators, e-commerce networks and Hajj carriers **Biggest single programme** Lufthansa Group: up to 21 airBaltic A220-300s each summer **Main drivers** Late deliveries, engine groundings, pilot shortages and summer peaks ### The ten biggest ACMI customers in 2026 1 ### [Lufthansa Group](https://www.lufthansagroup.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) A220-300, E190/E195, A320 family, 737 | Europe · airBaltic, Helvetic, GetJet and others No buyer in the passenger market spends more on wet lease capacity. The group's [three-year agreement with airBaltic](https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com/en/lufthansa-group-strengthens-wet-lease-partnership-with-airbaltic/?ref=acmiworld.com) lets it deploy up to 21 A220-300s in summer and five in winter at its hubs, and it backed the deal with a 10% stake in the Latvian carrier. Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines all fly airBaltic aircraft, while Helvetic Airways runs a long-standing E-Jet operation for SWISS. Eurowings runs its own wet lease programme on top of that. It [used 19 wet-leased aircraft in summer 2026](https://www.airliners.de/eurowings-holt-getjet-neuen-wet-lease-partner-sommersaison/85675?ref=acmiworld.com), slightly fewer than a year earlier, and brought in GetJet after SmartLynx stopped flying. The main risk for 2027 is its biggest supplier: airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 in September, and on 14 October it [asked the New York court to approve continuing its Lufthansa Group agreements](https://aviation.direct/?p=105506&ref=acmiworld.com), including a modified contract with Austrian Airlines. Our [October 9 brief](https://www.acmiworld.com/acmi-news-october-9-2026-norse-787-wet-lease-to-pia-airbus-deliveries-airbaltic-chapter-11/) covers the filing. **What it buys:** multi-season narrowbody and regional capacity at Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels, from operators that can staff hub bases. See also our list of [ACMI providers in Germany](https://www.acmiworld.com/top-10-acmi-and-wet-lease-providers-in-germany-in-2026/). 2 ### [Amazon Air](https://www.aboutamazon.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) 767-300F, 737-800F, A330-300F, ATR 72F | United States, Europe, India · ATSG, Sun Country, Cargojet, ASL Amazon owns or leases its freighters but flies none of them itself. [Cargo Facts](https://cargofacts.com/allposts/e-commerce/amazon-air-committed-to-continuing-cmi-acmi-arrangements/?ref=acmiworld.com) puts the network at around 100 aircraft operated by contract partners: ABX Air, Air Transport International and Cargojet on 767s, and Sun Country, ASL Airlines and Quikjet on 737s. Most of this is CMI, where Amazon supplies the aircraft and the operator supplies crew, maintenance and insurance. The provider mix changes over time. After Atlas Air pulled out of Amazon's 737 flying to focus on long-haul widebodies, Amazon moved eight more 737-800 freighters to Sun Country, which now [flies 20 for the retailer](https://indiaseatradenews.com/amazon-places-more-freighters-with-sun-country-airlines/?ref=acmiworld.com) under a contract running into the 2030s. **What it buys:** long-term CMI and ACMI flying on [767 freighters](https://www.acmiworld.com/boeing-767-freighter-acmi-lease/) and [737-800 converted freighters](https://www.acmiworld.com/boeing-737-800bcf-acmi-lease/), built around a small number of hubs. 3 ### [DHL Express](https://www.dhl.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) 747-8F, 747-400F, 767F, 757F | Global · Atlas Air/Polar, Cargojet, ATSG, group airlines DHL mixes its own airlines with outside operators across every region. In the Americas, it renewed its partnership with Cargojet [until 31 March 2033](https://www.aircargonews.net/freighter-operators/dhl-express-renews-with-cargojet-until-2033/1080504.article?ref=acmiworld.com), with renewal options to 2037 and a guaranteed minimum of monthly block hours. On the transpacific, Atlas Air flies 747 freighters in Polar Air Cargo's network for DHL, and ATSG's ABX Air operates 767s under CMI. DHL also wet leases between its own group airlines. [DHL Air in the UK took two 767s](https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/164303-uks-dhl-air-to-wet-lease-two-b767-freighters?ref=acmiworld.com) from its Bahraini sister carrier between 29 March and 26 October 2026\. **What it buys:** long-term widebody freighter capacity with guaranteed block hours, a model explained in our guide to [cargo ACMI pricing per block hour](https://www.acmiworld.com/cargo-acmi-pricing-per-block-hour-explained/). 4 ### [Qantas Group](https://www.qantas.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) Embraer E190, A330 | Australia · Alliance Airlines, Finnair Qantas is the main reason Alliance Airlines ranks second in the world by ACMI hours. The two airlines renegotiated their contract in August: pricing went up from 1 July 2026, and the number of aircraft committed to Qantas [falls from 30 to 23 over the 2027 financial year](https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/170408-australias-alliance-airlines-reduces-qantas-wet-lease?ref=acmiworld.com). QantasLink took its first in-house E190 in June 2026\. Qantas's other well-known wet lease, two Finnair A330s on Sydney routes to Singapore and Bangkok, has been [converting to a dry lease flown by Qantas crews](https://traveldaily.com.au/?p=406601&ref=acmiworld.com) since October 2025\. Both moves show a large buyer bringing more flying in-house while still keeping ACMI as a core tool. **What it buys:** long-term regional jet flying, mostly on [E190s](https://www.acmiworld.com/embraer-e190-acmi-lease/), for its domestic network and resource-sector routes. 5 ### [Air France-KLM](https://www.airfranceklm.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) E-Jets and regional jets | Netherlands, France · German Airways, HOP! KLM Cityhopper is one of Europe's biggest regional ACMI customers. It [extended its German Airways contract to summer 2026](https://centreforaviation.com/news/klm-cityhopper-and-german-airways-extend-wet-lease-agreement-to-summer-2026-1350746?ref=acmiworld.com), after citing pilot shortages as the reason for adding outside capacity, and German Airways is flying [more than 5,000 flights for KLM](https://reisetopia.de/?p=653675&ref=acmiworld.com) this year. The group also wet leases internally. KLM used HOP! aircraft and crews on Amsterdam routes to Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes, Montpellier and Lyon through the 2025/26 winter schedule. **What it buys:** regional jet capacity on Schiphol feeder routes, where crew availability rather than aircraft is the binding constraint. 6 ### [SAS Scandinavian Airlines](https://www.flysas.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) CRJ900, ATR 72-600 | Scandinavia · CityJet, BRA SAS has built much of its regional network on ACMI. According to [ch-aviation](https://ch-aviation.com/news/155520?ref=acmiworld.com), it flies fourteen CRJ900s under a long-term wet lease with CityJet and thirteen ATR 72-600s from Braathens Regional Airways, alongside the E195s in its own SAS Link fleet. This is one to watch. SAS has ordered 45 E195-E2s, with deliveries due to start in 2027 and run for about four years. That order gives SAS the option to bring more regional flying in-house as the jets arrive. **What it buys:** long-term regional jet and [ATR 72](https://www.acmiworld.com/atr-72-acmi-lease/) capacity on Scandinavian domestic and Copenhagen hub routes. 7 ### [Virgin Australia](https://www.virginaustralia.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) Boeing 777-300ER | Australia to Doha · Qatar Airways Virgin Australia returned to long-haul flying without buying a single widebody. Its Doha flights are operated by Qatar Airways under a wet lease that is [authorised for five years, until mid-2029](https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/156780-virgin-australia-to-evaluate-widebody-fleet-after-qatar-deal?ref=acmiworld.com), and the two airlines have discussed converting it to a dry lease later. The programme is growing. From 7 December 2026, Sydney to Doha goes from one to two daily flights, and Brisbane and Perth services return, all on Qatar Airways 777-300ERs [according to aeroTELEGRAPH](https://www.aerotelegraph.com/tag/virgin-australia?ref=acmiworld.com). **What it buys:** long-term [777 widebody capacity](https://www.acmiworld.com/boeing-777-acmi-lease/) from a partner airline, used to test long-haul economics before committing its own capital. 8 ### [Garuda Indonesia](https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) A330-300, A330-900, 777-300ER | Indonesia to Saudi Arabia · Thai AirAsia X, World2Fly, Lion Air The Hajj creates the largest short burst of widebody demand in the ACMI calendar, and Garuda is one of its biggest buyers. For 2026 it needed [15 widebodies to carry 102,502 pilgrims](https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/166547-garuda-indonesia-adds-damp-leased-widebodies-for-hajj-ops?ref=acmiworld.com), eight from its own fleet and seven leased, including A330-300s from Thai AirAsia X and both World2Fly AOCs and an A330-900 from Lion Air. Outbound flights ran from 22 April to 21 May and returns from 1 to 30 June. Garuda's tenders pointed to damp lease contracts, so providers able to supply cabin crew with Indonesian language and Hajj experience have an edge. **What it buys:** short, intensive seasonal contracts for [A330](https://www.acmiworld.com/airbus-a330-300-acmi-lease/) and 777 capacity. Our list of [widebody ACMI providers](https://www.acmiworld.com/top-10-widebody-acmi-providers-in-2026-a330-777-787-a340/) covers the likely suppliers. 9 ### [Condor](https://www.condor.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) Embraer E190 and narrowbodies | Germany and Europe · German Airways, Helvetic Airways Condor became a wet lease buyer out of necessity. After losing its legal fight with Lufthansa over feeder flights, it needed its own short-haul capacity to connect passengers to its long-haul network. For summer 2026 it [contracted two aircraft from German Airways](https://reisetopia.de/?p=653675&ref=acmiworld.com) for feeder flights in Germany and nearby countries, plus two Helvetic Airways E190s with crew from late April to October. **What it buys:** seasonal regional capacity for hub feed at Frankfurt, from operators with EU AOCs and German crew bases. 10 ### [flydubai](https://www.flydubai.com/?ref=acmiworld.com) Boeing 737-800F | UAE · SolitAir flydubai is the newest name on the list. It launched its first dedicated freighter operation on 1 October 2026 with three 737-800 freighters [wet leased from SolitAir for three years](https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/171890?ref=acmiworld.com), based at Dubai World Central and used for both scheduled routes and ad-hoc charters. Each aircraft adds 23,000 kg of payload, and the airline plans to study passenger-to-freighter conversions from 2029\. It is a clear example of an airline using ACMI to test a new business line before committing its own fleet. Our [flydubai freighter brief](https://www.acmiworld.com/aviation-news-today-flydubai-launches-acmi-freighters/) has more on the launch. **What it buys:** narrowbody freighter capacity on a fixed multi-year term. See our page on [ACMI for Middle East airlines](https://www.acmiworld.com/acmi-wet-lease-for-middle-east-airlines/). ### Other active ACMI buyers in 2026 Several smaller customers also signed notable deals. Air Serbia has flown airBaltic A220s since November 2025, rising to [up to four aircraft in summer 2026](https://bondoro.com/air-baltic/?ref=acmiworld.com). In South America, Flybondi [wet leased ten A320s and 737-800s](https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/158787?ref=acmiworld.com) for the southern summer from December 2025 to March 2026, using European aircraft that would otherwise sit idle in winter. ### ACMI customers compared | Customer | Main ACMI providers | Aircraft | Contract style | | -------------------- | ----------------------------------- | --------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | **Lufthansa Group** | airBaltic, Helvetic, GetJet | A220-300, E-Jets, A320, 737 | Multi-year seasonal | | **Amazon Air** | ATSG, Sun Country, Cargojet, ASL | 767F, 737-800F | Long-term CMI | | **DHL Express** | Atlas/Polar, Cargojet, ATSG | 747F, 767F, 757F | Long-term, block-hour guarantees | | **Qantas Group** | Alliance Airlines | E190 | Long-term, reducing to 23 aircraft | | **Air France-KLM** | German Airways, HOP! | Regional jets | Seasonal extensions | | **SAS** | CityJet, BRA | CRJ900, ATR 72-600 | Long-term | | **Virgin Australia** | Qatar Airways | 777-300ER | Five-year, to mid-2029 | | **Garuda Indonesia** | Thai AirAsia X, World2Fly, Lion Air | A330, 777 | Hajj season, damp lease | | **Condor** | German Airways, Helvetic | E190 and narrowbodies | Summer season | | **flydubai** | SolitAir | 737-800F | Three-year term | ### Four kinds of ACMI buyer **Network groups**Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and SAS use ACMI to cover hub feed and summer peaks without adding permanent fleet or crews. **Express and e-commerce networks**Amazon and DHL sign the longest contracts, often CMI, and judge providers on reliability and block-hour cost. **Market entrants**Virgin Australia and flydubai use ACMI to launch a new business line and test the economics before buying aircraft. **Seasonal and pilgrimage carriers**Garuda and Condor buy short, intense blocks of capacity, often at [short notice](https://www.acmiworld.com/short-term-acmi-lease-for-schedule-recovery/). ### What these customers check before signing For ACMI operators pitching to the buyers above, these are the points that decide most contracts. - **Regulatory approval:** EU and UK wet lease rules limit who can fly for whom and for how long. Our guide to [EU and UK wet lease approval](https://www.acmiworld.com/wet-lease-regulations-eu-uk-approval-rules-explained-2026/) explains the rules. - **Crew training records:** large customers audit them before the first flight. See [how airlines audit crew training records](https://www.acmiworld.com/how-airlines-audit-crew-training-records-before-an-acmi-lease/). - **Provider resilience:** after SmartLynx and Ascend Airways stopped flying and airBaltic filed for Chapter 11, buyers now ask for protection against a provider failing mid-season. Read [how airlines protect capacity](https://www.acmiworld.com/acmi-provider-failure-how-airlines-protect-capacity-2026/). - **Reliability:** customers track [dispatch reliability](https://www.acmiworld.com/what-is-dispatch-reliability-in-aviation/) and on-time performance against their own fleet. - **Crew logistics:** long deployments need crew housing and rotations planned in advance. See [how ACMI operators house crews](https://www.acmiworld.com/how-acmi-operators-house-crews-during-3-12-month-wet-lease-deployments/). - **Emissions responsibility:** the contract should state who reports and offsets. Our note on [CORSIA for ACMI operators](https://www.acmiworld.com/corsia-for-acmi-operators-who-reports-the-emissions/) sets out the default position. ### Looking for ACMI capacity, or customers for yours? Blue Cube Aviation arranges ACMI, wet lease and dry lease capacity for airlines, cargo operators and charter buyers, matching aircraft to customer requirements and timelines. [Contact Blue Cube Aviation](https://www.acmiworld.com/blue-cube-aviation-acmi-dry-lease-charter-and-aircraft-sales-support/) **Editorial note:** This ranking is based on publicly reported contracts, fleet data and company statements available in October 2026\. Aircraft counts are not directly comparable: some customers buy full ACMI, others buy CMI with their own aircraft, and some figures are seasonal peaks rather than year-round fleets. Airlines, cargo operators and ACMI providers that wish to share contract data for future editions can contact ACMIWorld. For partnerships, media, and collaboration opportunities, contact us directly at [info@acmiworld.com](mailto:info@acmiworld.com).