ASL Aviation Holdings

{{Infobox company

| name = ASL Aviation Holdings

| logo = ASL Holdings logo.webp

| former_name = ASL Aviation Group

| type = Designated activity company

| industry = Aviation services

| founded = 1970

| hq_location_city = Dublin, Ireland

| num_locations = 26 Companies including aircraft leasing entities

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people =

Dave Andrew (Chief Executive)
Colin Grant (chief operating officer)
Mark O'Kelly (chief financial officer)

| num_employees = 3,000

| subsid =

| website = https://www.aslaviationholdings.com/

}}ASL Aviation Holdings DAC (ASL), formerly the ASL Aviation Group, is an aviation services holding company focused on cargo and passenger airline operations, aircraft leasing and maintenance and aircraft parts support, based in Dublin, Ireland.{{Cite web |title=ASL Aviation Holdings Airline Group Profile |url=https://centreforaviation.com/data/profiles/airline-groups/asl-aviation-holdings |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=centreforaviation.com}} Today, ASL has eight airlines in Europe, South Africa, Asia and Australia, consisting of ASL Airlines Ireland, ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines United Kingdom in Europe, ASL Airlines Australia, formally Pionair Australia in Australia and joint venture and associate airlines FlySafair in South Africa, K-Mile Asia in Thailand and Quikjet Airlines in India.{{Cite web |title=ASL Aviation Holdings Airline Group Profile |url=https://centreforaviation.com/data/profiles/airline-groups/asl-aviation-holdings |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=centreforaviation.com}}

ASL also has various aircraft maintenance and aircraft support companies – ASL Maintenance (formally X-air services), ASL Airlines Services Switzerland and ASL Airlines Hungary.

In 2022, the company reported a profit of €46.6 million in 2021 revenues of €1.13 billion.{{Cite web |last=Dunn |first=Graham |date=20 September 2022 |title=Freight lift helps ASL boost 2021 revenues by 25% |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/freight-lift-helps-asl-boost-2021-revenues-by-25/150256.article |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=FlightGlobal |language=en}}

History

The group began with Safair Freighters, founded in South Africa in 1970, which with Safmarine acquired Tropair. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom in 1972, Air Bridge Carriers was established. In September 1992, the company was renamed Hunting Cargo Airlines and in 1997 all airline operations were transferred to Ireland. In 1994, Safair Freighters was renamed Safair and as a result of the Hunting Group's sale of its aviation-related companies in June 1998 to the joint consortium of Compagnie Maritime Belge/Safair (party of the Imperial Group), the airline was rebranded the company as Air Contractors.

The Imperial Group transferred its shares in the company to 3P Air Freighters in 2007. Air Contractors acquired French carrier Europe Airpost on 14 March 2008.{{cite web |date=14 March 2008 |title=Press Release: Acquisition of Europe Air Post by Air Contractors |url=http://www.aircontractors.com/detail.aspx?page=Document&call=News&Item=2118 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708042337/http://www.aircontractors.com/detail.aspx?page=Document&call=News&Item=2118 |archive-date=8 July 2009 |access-date=3 August 2009 |work=Air Contractors}} Following the acquisition of EAP into the ASL group of companies, the group was rebranded ASL Aviation Group, representing the three core activities of the group; Airlines, Support and Leasing.

In 2010, the acquisition of the Safair Group was finalised and in 2013 Safair introduced a broad-based black economic empowerment programme, allowing ASL to retain a minority share in the company.

Low-cost airline FlySafair was established by Safair in 2013. On 4 December 2014, the company acquired the Farnair Group in Switzerland.{{Cite web |date=2015-02-25 |title=ASL Aviation Group complete acquisition of Farnair |url=https://flyinginireland.com/2015/02/asl-aviation-group-complete-acquisition-of-farnair/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=FlyingInIreland.com |language=en-GB}}

On 4 June 2015, ASL Aviation Group announced that Air Contractors would be rebranded as ASL Airlines Ireland, Europe Airpost as ASL Airlines France, Farnair Hungary as ASL Airlines Hungary and Farnair Switzerland as ASL Airlines Switzerland.{{Cite web |date= |title=Ireland based ASL Aviation Group is to launch a new European airline brand, ASL Airlines, as part of its strategy for continued growth in passenger and cargo operations. |url=http://www.aslaviationgroup.com/index.php/media/single/asl-drives-future-growth-with-launch-of-european-airline-brand |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108034653/http://www.aslaviationgroup.com/index.php/media/single/asl-drives-future-growth-with-launch-of-european-airline-brand |archive-date=2017-11-08 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=ASL Aviation Group}}

The company acquired TNT Airways and PAN Air on 12 February 2016 and became ASL Airlines Belgium and ASL Airlines Spain.{{Cite web |last=Hamill |first=Laura |date=12 February 2016 |title=ASL Aviation Group acquire TNT and Pan Air Lineas Aereas |url=https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/asl-aviation-group-acquire-tnt-pan-air-lineas-aereas |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Aviation Week & Space Technology}}

In 2017, ASL Aviation Group was renamed to ASL Aviation Holdings. ASL Airlines Switzerland ceased airline operations on 1 February 2018,{{Cite web |date=2 February 2018 |title=ASL Airlines Switzerland concludes flight operations |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/64010-asl-airlines-switzerland-concludes-flight-operations |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=ch-aviation.com |language=en}} while ASL Airlines Spain ceased all operations in August 2018.{{Cite web |title=ASL Airlines Spain on ch-aviation |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/PVS |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=ch-aviation |language=en}}

On 4 June 2019, STAR Capital Partnership became the 100% shareholder in the company.{{Cite web |date=5 June 2019 |title=STAR Capital Completes Acquisition of ASL |url=https://newsroom.aviator.aero/star-capital-completes-acquisition-of-asl/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Aviator |language=en}} In 2021, ASL Airlines United Kingdom was launched.{{Cite web |last=Drum |first=Bruce |date=2021-03-31 |title=ASL Airlines UK commences operations |url=https://worldairlinenews.com/2021/03/31/asl-airlines-uk-commences-operations/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=World Airline News |language=en-US}}

In 2021, the company reported profits of €43.6m after tax and revenue of €1,131.5m with cash reserves increasing to 46.3% year on year to €192.2m.

ASL acquired 100% ownership of ASL Maintenance (formally X-air services) on 9 August 2022.{{Cite web |last=Dunn2022-08-09T15:46:00+01:00 |first=Graham |title=ASL takes full control of maintenance firm X-air Services |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/mro/asl-takes-full-control-of-maintenance-firm-x-air-services/149789.article |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=Flight Global |language=en}} The company was previously jointly-owned on a fifty-fifty basis by ASL and Sabena technics.

In December 2022, the company re-launched joint-venture airline Quikjet Airlines with the renewal of a new air operators certificate and the delivery of its first Boeing 737-800BCF.{{Cite web |date=12 December 2022 |title=India's QuikJet Airlines to resume flying with a B737-800BCF |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/122370-indias-quikjet-airlines-to-resume-flying-with-a-b737-800bcf |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=ch-aviation.com |language=en}} On 9 January 2023, Quikjet relaunched operations in India with a second Boeing 737-800BCF operating on behalf of Amazon Air.{{Cite news |last=Shah |first=Aditi |last2=Mandayam |first2=Nandan |date=2023-01-23 |title=Amazon launches dedicated air cargo service in India as online sales soar |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/amazon-launches-air-freight-service-india-2023-01-23/ |access-date=2023-08-14}}

On 4 March 2023, the company acquired Australian airline Pionair and rebranded it ASL Airlines Australia.{{Cite web |last=Kulisch |first=Eric |date=2023-04-05 |title=FedEx airfreight partner ASL Aviation acquires Australia’s Pionair |url=https://www.freightwaves.com/news/express-cargo-operator-asl-aviation-acquires-australias-pionair |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=FreightWaves |language=en-US}}In Brief Airliner World June 2023 page 17

Operations

ASL Airlines operates ACMI services on charter cargo transport services on behalf of express integrators and online retailers such as FedEx Express, Amazon Air, UPS and DHL. ASL aircraft operate scheduled and charter cargo services under the brand ASL Airlines on routes in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America and Africa. These include ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines Ireland, ASL Airlines United Kingdom, ASL Airlines Australia, K-Mile Asia, and Safair.

ASL Airlines France and FlySafair are the company's scheduled passenger services, based in Europe and South Africa respectively.

ASL has a leasing division, focusing cargo aircraft leasing and sales options to operators.

The company has two maintenance and aircraft parts support subsidiaries, ASL Maintenance and ASL Airlines Services Switzerland

Fleet

The company has a global fleet of 152 aircraft. {{As of|2024|7}} the fleet consists of:{{Cite web |title=ASL Aviation Holdings |url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/ASL-Aviation-Holdings?refresh=1 |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=planespotters.net}}

class="wikitable"

|+ASL Airlines Fleet – July 2024

!Aircraft

!Type

!In Fleet

!Operated By

ATR 72–500

|Freighter

|ASL Airlines Ireland

ATR 72–600

|Freighter

|ASL Airlines Ireland