Avia Solutions Group is aligning the core operations of Slovakia-based AirExplore and Lithuania’s KlasJet under a single leadership structure, in a move aimed at creating a faster, more efficient aviation platform to serve airlines and charter clients across Europe and beyond.
A Strategic Play in Europe’s Tight ACMI Market
The decision to merge the operational structures of AirExplore and KlasJet comes as Europe’s ACMI and charter market faces intense pressure from capacity shortages, aircraft delivery delays and volatile seasonal demand. By pooling back-end functions while preserving two distinct brands, parent company Avia Solutions Group is betting that scale and speed will be decisive advantages in the coming seasons.
Under the new framework, AirExplore and KlasJet will coordinate planning, fleet deployment, maintenance standards and support services to act more like a single platform than two standalone carriers. Executives describe the model as an agile engine that can move aircraft and crews quickly to where airlines and charter customers need them most, particularly during peaks or disruption.
The tie-up builds on Avia Solutions Group’s strategy of simplifying and consolidating its growing stable of ACMI and charter operators across Europe. The group, already a major force in wet-lease capacity, is using this latest move to sharpen its competitive edge as airlines increasingly outsource short-term lift instead of adding permanent capacity to their own fleets.
Unified Leadership and Clear Division of Roles
At the heart of the new structure is a shared leadership team. KlasJet chief executive Justinas Bulka has been appointed CEO of AirExplore while continuing to lead KlasJet, creating a single decision-making center for both airlines. The dual role is intended to reduce internal friction, accelerate approvals and ensure that fleet and staffing decisions are made with the combined network in mind.
Operational responsibilities will be clearly divided to avoid confusion in the market. AirExplore will concentrate on its core ACMI activities, supplying aircraft with crew, maintenance and insurance to airlines that need short or medium term capacity. Its fleet of Boeing 737-800s, configured for both passenger and freighter operations, will remain focused on mainstream commercial routes and contract flying.
KlasJet, by contrast, will continue to specialize in VIP, corporate and private charters, using low-density Boeing 737s configured for business clientele and sports teams. While it will benefit from shared technical and back-office resources, its product proposition, cabin layouts and customer relationships will stay firmly positioned in the premium charter segment.
Back-End Integration to Drive Speed and Efficiency
The core of the transformation lies behind the scenes. AirExplore and KlasJet are integrating key support functions such as operations control, maintenance planning, engineering standards and administrative services. Because both carriers operate under European air operator certificates and fly Boeing narrowbodies, unifying procedures and technical regimes is being framed as a logical step rather than a radical overhaul.
By removing duplicate processes and harmonizing documentation, the combined operation aims to accelerate aircraft turnarounds, reduce down-time for scheduled maintenance and simplify regulatory oversight. Shared procurement for parts and services is expected to yield cost savings, while common training standards for crews and technicians should support flexible deployment across the joint network.
For airline customers, the companies say the main benefit will be speed. A unified operations platform should allow the group to position aircraft more rapidly in response to last-minute ACMI requests, schedule disruptions or seasonal surges. For charter clients, the expectation is a more resilient operation, with a larger pool of aircraft and crews available when demand spikes.
Implications for European Jobs and Local Offices
The operational merger will not be cost-free in human terms. Avia Solutions Group has acknowledged that the integration of overlapping roles will lead to job reductions, particularly among KlasJet’s office staff in Lithuania. The company is still assessing how many positions will be affected, but it has indicated that duplicated back-office functions are the primary target.
Management has sought to soften the impact by stressing that affected employees will be offered opportunities elsewhere within the wider Avia Solutions Group, along with training and career support. With more than one hundred aviation-related businesses in the group, from airlines to maintenance providers, the company argues that internal mobility can absorb at least part of the workforce shake-up.
At the same time, executives insist that KlasJet is not withdrawing from Lithuania. The airline plans to maintain its local presence and air operator certificate, reflecting the strategic importance of its Baltic base. AirExplore will continue to operate under its Slovak AOC in Bratislava, keeping the dual-country structure that has given Avia Solutions Group regulatory and geographic flexibility.
Expanding Reach Across Europe, the UK and North America
One of the key strategic motivations behind the AirExplore and KlasJet alignment is the ability to extend reach into high-value markets. With their combined fleet and coordinated management, the carriers aim to deepen their presence across Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, which remains one of the largest charter and ACMI markets in the region.
The group also sees growth opportunities across the Atlantic. Using KlasJet’s Lithuanian AOC and the broader regulatory footprint of Avia Solutions Group, the new platform expects to be better placed to serve clients in North America, including the United States and Canada. Charter flights for sports teams, corporate roadshows and high-end leisure groups are seen as natural targets for expansion.
For AirExplore’s ACMI customers, the enlarged platform may translate into more options for longer-term capacity contracts that cross seasons or involve operations in multiple regions. As airlines look for partners that can support them both in European peak summer and in winter deployments elsewhere, the combined flexibility of AirExplore and KlasJet is being positioned as a selling point.
Brand Independence Within a Single Platform
Despite the unification of operations, both airlines are keen to emphasize that their brands will remain separate. AirExplore and KlasJet will each continue to market their services under their own names and maintain distinct customer-facing identities, a dual-brand strategy that Avia Solutions Group believes will prevent market confusion and protect existing client relationships.
For AirExplore, brand continuity reassures airline customers who value its track record as a dependable ACMI provider with experience across European scheduled and charter networks. For KlasJet, preserving its dedicated VIP and business aviation image is essential to retaining a client base that values privacy, tailored onboard service and the cachet of flying with a specialist charter operator rather than a mainstream carrier.
Behind the scenes, however, both brands will increasingly rely on shared systems, common safety management frameworks and aligned technical standards. The model mirrors trends in other aviation groups where airlines operate under different liveries and commercial strategies while drawing on centralized operations, training and procurement to gain economies of scale.
Part of a Wider Consolidation Wave at Avia Solutions Group
The AirExplore and KlasJet alignment is the latest step in a broader simplification drive at Avia Solutions Group. In recent years, the group has expanded rapidly across the ACMI and charter space, acquiring carriers such as AirExplore and building a network that spans multiple air operator certificates in Europe and beyond. That growth has created opportunities but also added complexity.
Industry observers note that the group is now moving to streamline internal structures, reduce fragmentation and reinforce common standards across its airlines. By clustering compatible operators under unified leadership and shared operations, Avia Solutions Group is seeking to harness the benefits of its size while avoiding inefficiencies that can arise in loosely connected portfolios.
The group’s stated ambition is to remain a leading global provider of aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance capacity for airlines facing a new era of structural volatility. The AirExplore and KlasJet move, framed as a targeted response to that environment, signals that further strategic realignments within the group’s portfolio may still be on the table as market conditions evolve.
What It Means for Airlines, Travelers and the Charter Market
For airline customers, the practical impact of the AirExplore and KlasJet operational merger is likely to be felt most in the reliability and speed of available capacity. As carriers contend with ongoing aircraft delivery delays, maintenance bottlenecks and pilot availability issues, having access to a larger, more coordinated pool of leased aircraft can be a critical buffer against schedule disruptions.
Travelers may not see the AirExplore or KlasJet brands on their tickets, particularly when flying on ACMI capacity contracted by another airline, but the presence of additional back-up aircraft can help stabilize timetables and reduce the risk of cancellations during peak periods. In the VIP and corporate charter segment, clients are expected to benefit from a wider selection of aircraft, more flexible routing options and the security of a platform backed by a large aviation group.
In the medium term, the success of the new structure will depend on how smoothly the back-end integration proceeds and how effectively the group manages workforce changes and cultural differences between the Slovak and Lithuanian operations. Should the model deliver on its promises of faster deployment and cost efficiencies, it could become a template for further consolidation among specialized operators in Europe’s increasingly crowded ACMI and charter market.