Avion Express (X9, Vilnius) is looking to obtain an air operator's certificate (AOC) in Mexico within the next 24 months as it continues its expansion in the Americas, having launched a Brazilian subsidiary, Avion Express Brasil (AEB, São Paulo Viracopos) earlier in the year.
“As an ACMI operator, we aim to support airlines by adding capacity when it’s needed most, particularly in response to demand fluctuations and seasonality in different markets. With a well-established presence in Europe, we are expanding our global footprint by focusing on countercyclical markets,” Darius Kajokas, Avion Express’s chief executive officer, explained in a statement.
Another of the company’s subsidiaries, Avion Express Malta (4X, Malta International), already has a presence in Mexico, wet-leasing sixteen A320-200s to ultra-low-cost operator Viva (Mexico) (VB, Monterrey Mariano Escobedo), the ch-aviation fleets module shows. The goal is now to ensure sustained operations in the region, Kajokas said.
The first step in setting up a company in Mexico is recruiting a CEO, the company added in the statement.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows Avion Express’s combined fleet totals 57 aircraft - one A319-100, fifteen A320-200s, and one A321-200 in the Lithuanian AOC, thirty-eight A320-200s and one A321-200 in the Maltese AOC, and one A320-200 in the Brazilian AOC. Startup Avion Express Philippines is currently under certification and aims to start operations in mid-2025.
Besides the Avion Express-branded airlines, parent Avia Solutions Group owns or partners in an array of AOCs including SmartLynx Airlines, SmartLynx Airlines Estonia, startup Thai SmartLynx Airlines, KlasJet, AirExplore, Ascend Airways (and Ascend Airways Malaysia under certification), BBN Airlines Indonesia, BBN Airlines Türkiye, and Skytrans.
