What’s new in 2025?
The European wet-leasing (ACMI) market is growing fast. Between 2024 and 2025, wet-lease activity in Europe nearly doubled – more aircraft, more providers, more flights. But with this growth comes a darker reality: More ACMI means more opportunities for worker's abuse.
• ACMI is no longer just for peak summer charters. National and network airlines like Condor, Austrian Airlines, AJet, and Air Serbia increasingly rely on wet-leased capacity to run core operations. Wet-leased capacity is no longer merely a seasonal stopgap but has become a tool for supporting year-round operations.
• The number of wet-leased aircraft almost doubled, reflecting airlines' growing dependence on outsourced fleets.
• Bases shifted east and south. ACMI operations expanded into Antalya, Belgrade, and Amsterdam, replacing Zurich and Tirana as key hubs.
• New operators entered the field – including SmartLynx Malta, Smartwings CZ, and airBaltic as ACMI providers, often offering cheaper crews under dubious contracts. (....)