Charter and consultancy group ACC Aviation says ACMI activity is more than 15 percent below 2025

ACC Aviation, a charter, ACMI leasing and consultancy group, said on 6 November 2026 that global ACMI flying by the end of the third quarter was more than 15 percent behind the same period of 2025. The report was written by Dave Williams, Director of Leasing at ACC Aviation, and draws on talks at the ACC Airline Conference 2026 and on CH-Aviation market data. ACMI, or wet lease, is aircraft and crew from one airline flying for another, paid by the block hour.

ACMI numbers and drivers

Summer 2024 was the peak for ACMI pricing and demand. 2025 was the strongest ACMI year so far in block hours. In 2026, airport closures, airspace limits, higher fuel prices and later bookings reduced flying, and the Middle East conflict had a bigger effect on aviation than the war in Ukraine.

Europe is still the biggest ACMI region but its activity is down 23 percent on last year.

So far in 2026, narrowbody ACMI is 25 percent below the full year 2025 figure. Year on year to the end of the third quarter, the Airbus A320ceo is down 37 percent, the Boeing 737-800 17 percent, the Airbus A321 38 percent and the Airbus A319 28 percent.

Widebody ACMI is up 7 percent. The A330-200 is down 8 percent, the A330-300 down 14 percent, and the 777-300ER down 7 percent because contracts paused during Middle East airport and airspace closures. Types such as the 787-9 grew from a small base.

Wider market and contracts

ACC quotes IATA figures showing total passenger demand down 0.5 percent year on year, with a global load factor of 83.2 percent. Without the Middle East, passenger demand is up 0.3 percent, and IATA expects average jet fuel prices in 2026 to be about 70 percent higher than in 2025.

ACMI agreements are often signed months before flights start, so a planned route can become impossible after a geopolitical event. ACC says operators should not assume that force majeure clauses will protect them. For cross-border ACMI it advises agreeing the governing law and jurisdiction at the start.

Outlook

Williams expects airlines to stay cautious for the next 6 to 12 months, with more consolidation and some airline failures possible. If the Middle East becomes stable again, airlines that react fast could gain. Aircraft delivery delays and factory bottlenecks would also support ACMI demand when capacity returns.

"Despite softer market conditions overall, opportunities remain for operators willing to adapt," said Dave Williams, Director of Leasing at ACC Aviation.

On The Flying Engineer

Read more about ACC Aviation on The Flying Engineer, and browse our aviation consultants, air charter companies and aircraft leasing companies. Our guide Aircraft leasing: wet lease, dry lease and leaseback explained covers how ACMI works.

Source: ACC Aviation