ACMI in Africa: Insights from AviaDev panel

Aviation leaders gathered in Zanzibar in June for the AviaDev Africa 2025 conference to address the continent's mounting challenges and opportunities. Linas Dovydėnas, Chapman Freeborn IMEA President, participated in the panel titled 'Beyond the headwinds: Navigating rising costs, finance hurdles and supply chain challenges. His insights shed light on how ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) solutions can transform African aviation.

ACMI – a solution gaining traction

With Africa's young and rapidly growing population seeking more opportunities for travel, air traffic in the region is expected to rise by an average of 6.4 percent annually, more than tripling by 2043. At the same time, African airlines are facing rising costs and supply chain disruptions that demand flexibility and adaptability to changing market conditions.

ACMI leasing emerges as a strategic response to this surging demand, offering airlines the flexibility to scale operations without the financial burden of aircraft ownership. This wet-leasing model provides airlines with aircraft and crew to handle seasonal peaks or bridge service gaps caused by aircraft maintenance.

There are over 1,500 aircraft available globally for ACMI leasing, with half operated solely under ACMI contracts. However, this capacity remains underutilized by African carriers, according to Dovydėnas:

“Leasing is gaining traction in Africa – African carriers are increasingly reaching out due to supply chain bottlenecks, inability to secure dry leases, and aging fleets. But it's still often viewed as a short-term or emergency solution, which drives up costs.”

This perception creates broader trends, with African airlines approaching ACMI providers just weeks before peak season, leading to inflated prices. Such procurement strategies ultimately undermine the cost-effectiveness that makes ACMI attractive in the first place.

Planning ahead pays off

While African airlines are increasingly adopting ACMI, they still need to shift from last-minute decisions to strategic forward planning. Dovydėnas advocates embracing ACMI not as an emergency fix, but as a long-term strategic tool that can help generate profit:

“Proper planning allows airlines to scale flexibly during peak seasons without committing to year-round fixed costs. We recommend signing ACMI agreements one to three years in advance to secure better pricing and availability.”

Chapman Freeborn is actively working with African airlines and authorities to position ACMI solutions as components of long-term capacity planning. Encouragingly, the company is beginning to see early-stage discussions around multi-year ACMI partnerships, which Dovydėnas views as a positive shift.

Addressing African aviation needs

The panelists addressed a critical market constraint: the availability of aircraft remains extremely tight. Global OEM delivery delays are pushing even mature markets toward ACMI solutions, which reduces the availability of second-hand aircraft flowing into African markets. This creates a complex supply dynamic where traditional acquisition models become increasingly challenging, making ACMI’s on-demand availability particularly valuable for African carriers.

Chapman Freeborn currently supports African airlines with ACMI and cargo services. As part of the world's largest ACMI group, the company provides African airlines with additional aircraft capacity when needed – for busy travel seasons, operational gaps, or unexpected demand surges. The company also plays a significant role in moving cargo across the continent, particularly humanitarian aid and urgent relief supplies to hard-to-reach areas.

“We are working with both airlines and aviation authorities to make it easier and faster for foreign aircraft to get approval to operate in Africa,” Dovydėnas explains. “Our local office in Johannesburg helps us stay close to the market, respond quickly, and build strong relationships across the region. Africa remains a key focus for Chapman Freeborn, and we continue to explore ways to strengthen our partnerships and presence across the continent.”