With over 19 years of operations, Avion Express, a member of the Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) services provider, has undertaken an ambitious expansion process to strengthen its presence in the Latin American market with its subsidiary in Brazil by joining the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) as a member airline.
Specializing in narrow-body ACMI operations, the company operates a fleet of over 50 Airbus A320 family aircraft. It currently has a team of more than 1,700 professionals based across more than 15 bases providing services to its ACMI customers around the world. Avion Express is also an IATA member with IOSA certifications for its 2 current AOCs established in Lithuania and Malta.
Over the years, Avion Express has established long-term partnerships with customers in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. Its customers include airBaltic, airlines belonging to the Air France-KLM group, the British Airways group, and the Lufthansa group, as well as SKY Airline, Sun Express, TUI, Viva Aerobus, Wizz Air, and many others. Since Q4 2023, Avion Express has been taking steps to obtain the Air Operator Certificate for its subsidiary Avion Express Brasil, expecting to start ACMI operations during Q4 2024.
According to Darius Kajokas, CEO of Avion Express, ACMI, as a business model, is well established in different continents of the world and is gaining greater footing in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
“It is a great honor for us to be joining ALTA. Latin America and the Caribbean region have been a strategic focus of Avion Express for the past several years and they will continue to be so for many years to come. ACMI services enable our customer airlines to greatly benefit from financial and operational gains and efficiencies mainly driven by factors like the seasonality of commercial demand and the aim to use internal recourses more efficiently throughout every financial year. Numerous airlines around the globe are using ACMI services as a strategic tool to manage their operational capacity throughout the year. Regarding Latin America and the Caribbean region specifically, we are proud to have had several opportunities to provide ACMI services to such airlines as SKY, Sky High, Sunrise, and VivaAerobus, among others. In addition, we have recently cooperated with Avianca and JetSmart on projects geared towards the seasonal secondment of pilots between Europe and Latin America,” said Darius Kajokas, CEO of Avion Express.
To further consolidate the position of Avion Express Brasil, the company aims to start providing our ACMI services to a much wider pool of customers in Latin America and the Caribbean region, thereby bringing financial and operational benefits to the local airlines and passengers.
José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA’s Executive Director and CEO, welcomes Avion Express’ membership.
“Avion Express joins ALTA at an important time for the aviation industry in Latin America and the Caribbean. In our region, which has evidenced a strong recovery after COVID-19 and is in a process of strong consolidation, the essential role of air transport for its socio-economic development is undisputable. Avion Express’ focus on strengthening the regional market with the help of its airline partners and coordinated work with authorities and different stakeholders, has made it possible to implement new operational models in the region, providing fleet flexibility solutions for the short and longer term. Its subsidiary in Brazil will be a great asset to the common goal of developing air connectivity and boosting economic growth in the region, as well as a new strategic tool for airlines based in the Americas, where the company has proven itself to be a pioneer in providing solutions tailored to each airline’s needs. We are excited to collaborate with Avion Express and continue to raise the standards of excellence in our industry,” said José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA’s Executive Director and CEO.
