Three ways to add an aircraft
Airlines add capacity in three broad ways, and the terms are often confused. The differences matter commercially, operationally and legally.
Dry lease
Under a dry lease, the lessor provides the aircraft only. The lessee operates it on its own air operator's certificate (AOC), with its own crews, maintenance arrangements and insurance, and the aircraft is usually placed on the lessee's registry. Terms typically run in years rather than months. Dry leasing suits operators who want long-term capacity and full operational control, and it is how most of the world's airline fleet is financed.
Wet lease (ACMI)
ACMI stands for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance — the four things the lessor supplies. The aircraft is flown under the lessor's AOC, and the lessee typically pays an agreed rate per block hour with a minimum monthly guarantee, while covering fuel, airport charges and other direct operating costs. ACMI suits seasonal peaks, route trials, fleet groundings and delivery delays, with terms commonly measured in months.
Damp lease
A damp lease sits between the two: the lessor provides the aircraft, flight crew, maintenance and insurance, while the lessee provides cabin crew. It is often used where local cabin-crew language or service standards matter, or to reduce cost against a full wet lease.
Choosing between them
The decision usually turns on four questions: how long the capacity is needed, whether the operator holds an AOC able to absorb the type, how quickly the aircraft is needed, and which party is better placed to carry crewing and maintenance responsibility. A requirement measured in months with limited lead time generally points to ACMI; a requirement measured in years, with the type on or joining the operator's certificate, points to dry lease.
Battuta Aviation sources both structures across passenger and cargo aircraft, and can advise on which framework fits a specific requirement before approaching the market.
Related services