ACMI BLOCK HOURS FALL SHARPLY AGAINST 2025 COMPARATIVES

The global ACMI market experienced a notable contraction in the second quarter of 2026, with total block hours declining by 18.9% year-on-year against the same period in 2025, according to ACC Aviation’s latest market analysis. The consultancy attributed the decline to a combination of geopolitical instability across the Middle East, changing airline operating strategies, softer booking trends and increased cost pressures, which together reduced ACMI demand across several core markets. Dave Williams, Director of Leasing at ACC Aviation, said the Q2 slowdown had been broadly anticipated given the external pressures affecting airline operations globally, noting that ACMI demand had always responded quickly to shifts in airline confidence, network planning and operational requirements.

REGIONAL PERFORMANCE: EUROPE DECLINES, SOUTH AMERICA GROWS

Europe remained the largest ACMI customer region in Q2 2026, accounting for 50% of global demand, but total European block hours fell by 25.8% year-on-year, reducing Europe’s overall market share from 54% in Q2 2025. Asia demonstrated greater resilience, declining by only 7.3% year-on-year while increasing its market share to 23%. North America experienced the sharpest regional contraction, with demand falling 60% year-on-year. South America was the one regional outlier in a positive direction, delivering growth of 51% year-on-year, albeit from a comparatively small base.

Williams said Europe’s disproportionate influence on global ACMI performance reflected its status as the core of the market, and that what was visible in Q2 was airlines becoming more selective and strategic in their ACMI deployment rather than pursuing broad seasonal coverage.

NARROWBODY PLATFORMS LEAD THE DECLINE

Fleet data shows that narrowbody aircraft were the principal driver of the market contraction, with utilisation declining by almost 34% year-on-year. The most established ACMI narrowbody platforms recorded significant reductions: the A320ceo fell 46%, the B737-800 fell 28%, the A321 fell 58% and the B737 MAX 8 fell 81%. The scale of the narrowbody downturn is illustrated clearly by the performance of Avion Express, which operated the highest ACMI block hours throughout 2024 and 2025. Avion Express Malta recorded a 57% year-on-year decline in Q2 2026, and Avion Express Lithuania a 90% decline, coinciding with a strategic fleet reduction by the operator in response to market conditions. Across the wider narrowbody market, similar trends are evident at Heston Airlines (−21%), Bulgaria Air (−25%), European Air Charter (−41%), BBN Airlines Türkiye (−83%) and Smartwings, which recorded a 35% decline across its B737-800 and B737 MAX 8 fleet.

WIDEBODY SEGMENT POSTS 20% GROWTH

In contrast to the narrowbody picture, the widebody ACMI segment delivered 20.2% year-on-year growth in Q2 2026, supported by more structured, longer-term contract planning. Growth highlights included the A330-300 at +17%, the B777-200ER at +35%, the B787-9 at +452% and the A330-900neo at +83%, though the latter two figures are from smaller market bases. The A330-200 was broadly flat at −2.6%, while the B777-300ER declined by 34%. Williams said the standout trend from Q2 was the continued resilience of widebody ACMI, with widebody contracts increasingly secured as part of longer-term operational planning rather than reactive capacity solutions. Air Baltic emerged as the leading ACMI supplier by block hours in Q2 2026, supported by continued A220 deployment growth.

OUTLOOK: RATIONALISATION EXPECTED THROUGH Q3 2026

ACC Aviation expects market conditions in Q3 2026 to broadly follow Q2 trends, particularly across narrowbody operations, as suppliers begin resizing fleets and reducing available ACMI capacity. Williams said periods of market correction also created opportunities for operators with the right fleet strategy and contract positioning, and that Q3 would be an important indicator of whether widebody ACMI could maintain momentum and whether narrowbody capacity reductions would begin to stabilise the market.