Avia Solutions Group

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Avia Solutions Group
Company typePrivate company
IndustryAviation, tourism
Founded2010 [1]
Headquarters Dublin, Ireland
Key people
Gediminas Ziemelis (chairman of the board)
Jonas Janukenas (CEO and member of the board)
Revenue€2.263 billion (2023) [2]
€160 million (2023) [2]
Number of employees
11 000+ (2023)
Rating Fitch Ratings – BB
S&P Global Ratings – BB-
Website www.aviasg.com

Avia Solutions Group is an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance) provider and holding company. Established in 2010 in Lithuania, [3] it moved its headquarters to Dublin, Ireland in 2023, [4] and has additional offices around the world. [5] As of January 2024, the company maintained a fleet of over 200 aircraft among the group's subsidiaries, with annual revenue of €2 billion. [6]

Contents

History

The history of Avia Solutions Group began in 2005 when Lithuanian Airlines (LAL), the national airlines of Lithuania, was privatized. LAL investment management acquired 100% of the airline shares for 7.53 million Euro. The airline was re-branded as FlyLAL and several related companies were registered, including Baltic Ground Services (ground handling), [7] FL Technics (aviation maintenance, repair, and operations), and Bilietų Pardavimo Centras (travel agency). In 2005, FL Technics was founded. [8] The company opened its first hangar at Vilnius International Airport. In November 2006, Baltic Aviation Academy (now known as BAA Training) was founded, to provide professional training for aviation specialists. [9] In 2007, JetMS was founded under the name FL Technics Jets. [10] In 2007, Aviation Asset Management was founded (now known as AviaAM Leasing). [11] [12] In 2008, a charter airline called Small Planet Airlines was founded. [13]

In 2010, the LAL companies were consolidated into Avia Solutions Group, [3] and the group was listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2011. [14] [15] In November 2018 it was delisted from the WSE. [16] [17] In 2021, the group received €300 million in financing from US-based investment management company Certares. [18] The company moved its headquarters from Lithuania to Cyprus, and then from Cyprus to Dublin in May 2023. [19] [20] The company is Ireland's second largest aviation business after Ryanair. [18]

In 2024, Avia subsidiary Ascend Airways was granted an Air Operator Certificate. It proposes to fly out of London Gatwick and Southend in England. [21] In 2024, ASG announced plans to expand to the United States, partnering with Impact Investments, an investment firm headed by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. [22] In addition to financial support, the firm will advise on further strategic development in the US. [22]

On November 12 2024, Avia ordered 40 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft for delivery to its various ACMI airlines from 2030, with an option for an additional 40. Distribution amongst the groups subsidiary airlines is yet to be confirmed. [23]

Business model

Avia Solutions Group is a holding company with subsidiaries specializing in various aircraft related businesses, including aircraft maintenance; repair and overhaul (MRO); leasing and trading of aircraft; ground handling and fueling; aviation training; personnel resourcing; and business and corporate aviation, in addition to its primary function as an ACMI provider. [24] Among its notable subsidiaries are: SmartLynx Airlines, Avion Express, Magma Aviation and KlasJet. Some of its customers include: Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Wizzair, Ryanair and SAS. [25] The group also organizes humanitarian flights, airlifts, airdrops, search and rescue, evacuation and other aircraft leasing for the United Nations, world governments and other aid groups. [26] The company flies about 6 million passengers per year, and has over 12,000 employees located in 100 offices around the world. [24] As of March 2024, the company owns twelve AOC-certified airlines, with a plan to purchase seven more within the year. [27] Gediminas Žiemelis is the founder, chairman and majority owner of the company, [25] and Jonas Janukenas is the CEO. [24]

Subsidiaries

As of 2024, Avia Solutions Group controls the following companies under the following business areas: [28]

ACMI

Aircraft Leasing

Aviation Media and Events

Aviation Training

Business and Corporate Aviation

Cargo Aviation

Charter Broker

Ground Handling

MRO

Online Platforms

Public Transport Solutions

Railway Freight

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gediminas Žiemelis</span> Lithuanian businessman

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References

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  2. 1 2 "Independent Auditor's Report" (PDF).
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  7. "Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania". 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
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  12. ""Aviation assets management" perka lėktuvus už 83 mln. litų". tv3.lt. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
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  21. 1 2 "UK startup Ascend Airways commences revenue operations". 14 May 2024.
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  23. "Avia Solutions Group orders 80 Boeing 737 MAX - AeroTime". www.aerotime.aero. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
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  28. "Avia Solutions Group – the world's largest ACMI provider". aviasg.com. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
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