What Alliance Aviation Services does

Alliance Aviation Services Limited (ASX: AQZ) is an Australian public airline headquartered in Brisbane, founded in 2002, that operates Australia's largest dedicated fly-in fly-out (FIFO) air charter network serving the resources sector. The company runs a fleet of approximately 40 aircraft — primarily Fokker 70, Fokker 100, and Embraer 190 regional jets — from fully operational bases in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Essendon, Perth, and Townsville, with 500+ staff across Australia and New Zealand. Its core customers are major mining companies including BHP, Glencore, Newmont, Newcrest, Gold Fields, and CITIC Pacific, alongside Australian federal government agencies (ADF, Department of Immigration) on a standing offer panel, and airline partners Qantas (wet lease), Virgin Australia, and Fly Corporate (codeshares).

The business generates revenue across five streams: contracted FIFO charter services to mining sites (managed services revenue), ad hoc aircraft charters for corporate, sporting, tourism, media and educational groups (transactional), wet lease of aircraft and crew to Qantas (licensing/royalty style), aircraft sales and leasing to third parties (hardware sales), and a small scheduled Regular Public Transport (RPT) network sold via three fare tiers (Discount, Saver, Flexi). Go-to-market is predominantly enterprise field sales to resource majors, supplemented by direct consumer booking through the website and call centre, plus channel partnerships via codeshares.

Alliance holds CASA Part 145 Authorised Maintenance Organisation status across its six bases, IATA IOSA registration, and Flight Safety Foundation BARS Gold Standard accreditation, enabling integrated line and base maintenance for Fokker and Embraer platforms. Strategic direction since 2021 has centred on transitioning from a Fokker-heavy fleet to a larger Embraer 190 fleet (30+ E190s acquired between 2021 and 2023), deepening the Qantas wet lease partnership via a 2022 scheme implementation deed, and broadening board capability ahead of potential corporate activity, as evidenced by the 2025 Avian Transaction, 2025 leadership refresh, and adoption of a new constitution at the November 2025 AGM.

Name

Alliance Aviation Services

Legal name

Alliance Aviation Services Limited

Website

https://allianceairlines.com.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Alliance Aviation Services is an Australian airline that operates Australia's largest dedicated FIFO charter fleet, transporting resource-industry workers, government personnel, and airline partners using Fokker and Embraer aircraft from six Australian bases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Charter Services

NAICS

Air Transportation (481), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Interline/Codeshare-Integrated Regional Airlines (Non-CPA) (THABACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Essential Air Service (EAS) & Subsidized Regional Operators (THABACAC), LCC/ULCC ACMI & Wet-Lease Operators (THABABAI)

Keywords

• Air charter services
• FIFO aviation
• Aircraft wet lease
• Regional airline services
• Aircraft line maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) Charter Services: Contracted air charter services for resource industry workers flying to and from mining sites. Core revenue stream serving major mining companies including BHP, Glencore, Newmont, and others. Long-term contract relationships with dedicated aircraft assignments.
2. Ad Hoc Aircraft Charters: On-demand charter services for group travel including tourism, corporate, sporting teams, entertainment, media, and educational sectors. Flexible booking for any type of group travel journey.
3. Wet Lease Agreements: Providing aircraft and crew to other airlines (primarily Qantas) under wet lease arrangements. Alliance supplies aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance while partner operates under their airline designator code.
4. Aircraft Sales & Leasing: Sale and leasing of aircraft to other operators. Works with other airlines and external providers providing aircraft sales and leasing services.
5. Scheduled RPT Services: Regular Public Transport services on designated routes throughout Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and South East Asia. Revenue from ticket sales across various fare types including Discount, Saver, and Flexi fares.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alliance Aviation Services is an Australian regional aviation operator that provides fly-in fly-out (FIFO) air charter services to mining and resource-sector clients, supplemented by scheduled regional passenger flights, wet-lease aircraft and crew to QantasLink, ad-hoc charters, government and defence charters, aircraft sales and leasing, and aircraft line maintenance. Its operations are anchored in a ~40-strong fleet of Fokker 70, Fokker 100, and Embraer 190 aircraft.

Product overview

Alliance Aviation Services is an Australian airline operating as a fleet of aircraft rather than a unified software platform. The company offers a portfolio of aviation services including ad-hoc aircraft charters for tourism, corporate, sporting, entertainment, educational and government sectors; Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) services for the resources industry; aircraft sales and leasing; and regular public transport on domestic routes. The fleet comprises three aircraft types: Fokker 70, Fokker 100, and Embraer 190, supported by an Authorised Maintenance Organisation providing line and base maintenance services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FIFO air charter services Dedicated charter flying provided to mining, oil & gas and infrastructure companies to move workers on fly-in fly-out rosters between capital cities and remote resource sites, using Fokker 70/100 and Embraer 190 aircraft.
• Scheduled regional passenger services Regularly scheduled regional passenger flights between Australian regional centres and capital cities, with tiered Discount/Saver/Flexi fares; sold direct and via codeshare partners.
• Aircraft wet-lease (ACMI) to QantasLink Provision of crewed-and-maintained Fokker/Embraer aircraft (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) under wet-lease to QantasLink to provide scheduled-network capacity.
• Government and defence charter services Ad-hoc and contracted charter flights for Australian federal, state and defence agencies for official and troop movements, operated under the company's CASA AOC.
• Ad-hoc corporate charter Quote-based one-off charter flights for corporates, groups and other clients not under long-term FIFO or wet-lease agreements.
• Aircraft sales and leasing Sale and lease of Alliance's own aircraft (Fokker 70/100 and Embraer 190) to other operators as a discrete revenue and fleet-management line.
• Aircraft line maintenance services CASA-compliant line maintenance and Continuing Airworthiness support for Fokker 70/100 and Embraer 190 aircraft, performed for other operators as well as Alliance's own fleet.

Quantifiable outcome

• Outstanding safety record in remote and challenging operations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• QantascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWet lease agreement providing aircraft and crew to Qantas. Alliance provides aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance while Qantas operates flights under the QF airline designator code. Expanded partnership with increased aircraft allocation. Relationship established through scheme implementation deed discussions.
• Virgin AustraliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCodeshare partnership where Alliance operates flights and Virgin Australia sells seats under the VA designator code. Covers Brisbane to Gladstone route. Bookings managed through Virgin Australia website.
• Fly CorporateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCodeshare arrangement for Brisbane to Whitsunday Coast route where Fly Corporate sells Alliance-operated services under their airline designator code.
• Queensland Resources CouncilminorOthersIndustry association membership supporting resources sector engagement and advocacy.
• Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western AustraliaminorOthersPeak industry body membership for mining and energy sector in Western Australia.
• Regional Airlines Association of AustraliaminorOthersMembership in RAAA representing regional aviation operators in Australia.
• Department of DefencecoreOthersRecognised service provider status for Defence contracts and government charter services.
• Western Australia Mining ClubminorOthersIndustry networking and advocacy association membership.
• Australian Tourism Export CouncilminorOthersPeak body membership for Australian tourism export industry.
• The Association of South Pacific AirlinesminorOthersRegional aviation association membership for South Pacific airlines.
• Breast Cancer Network AustraliaminorOthersCharitable sponsorship supporting breast cancer awareness and support programmes.
• Foodbank QueenslandminorOthersCorporate sponsorship supporting food relief programmes in Queensland.
• Variety - The Children's Charity of South AustraliaminorOthersCharitable sponsorship supporting children in South Australia.
• Queensland Rugby UnionminorOthersSports sponsorship and partnership with Queensland Rugby Union.
• BHP Roxby Downs Outback CupminorOthersSponsorship of BHP Roxby Downs Outback Cup event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• QantasLink: QantasLink is the regional subsidiary of Qantas, operating scheduled and charter regional services across Australia. It is both a partner (wet-lease and codeshare) and a broader incumbent competitor, and its scale, brand, and distribution create a comparable benchmark for regional Australian flying economics.
• Network Aviation: Network Aviation is a Qantas subsidiary providing FIFO charter services to the Western Australian resources sector. As a sister entity to Alliance's QantasLink wet-lease partner, it competes for the same resource-sector FIFO contracts that drive Alliance's core revenue.
• Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA): Virgin Australia Regional Airlines operates regional scheduled services and is a codeshare partner of Alliance. As a larger regional brand, it overlaps with Alliance on scheduled regional routes (e.g., Brisbane-Gladstone) and provides a structural benchmark for codeshare economics.

Regional players

• Sharp Airlines: Sharp Airlines operates regional scheduled and charter services in Victoria and western New South Wales with a small turboprop fleet. While smaller and turboprop-focused, it operates in the same Australian regional aviation ecosystem and competes for some charter and government work.
• Skippers Aviation: Skippers Aviation is a Western Australia-based charter and FIFO operator focused on the Pilbara and Goldfields regions. It directly competes with Alliance for mining-sector charter contracts in Western Australia, particularly around Perth-Kalgoorlie and Pilbara routes.

Direct peers

• Airnorth: Airnorth operates regional scheduled and charter services across northern Australia, including resource-sector and remote-community flying. Its mix of regional scheduled, charter, and remote-area operations is comparable to Alliance's diversification strategy outside the major resource corridors.
• Cobham Aviation Services Australia: Cobham Aviation Services operates contracted regional and FIFO flying across Australia, including resource-sector work and government charter services, making it the closest direct comparator to Alliance in business model (charter + FIFO + government) and customer base. Both compete for the same mining and government contracts.
• Regional Express Holdings (Rex): Rex is an Australian publicly listed regional airline operating scheduled regional services across rural and remote Australia. While its core is scheduled rather than charter, its regional fleet, route economics, and ASX-listed operating profile make it a close functional comparable for the scheduled RPT portion of Alliance's business.
• National Jet Express: National Jet Express is an Australian charter and FIFO operator serving mining, oil and gas, and government customers with regional jets and turboprops. Its mix of FIFO charter, ad hoc charter, and contracted flying is structurally similar to Alliance, and it competes head-to-head for the same resource-sector contracts.
• Hevilift Australia: Hevilift provides FIFO and charter aviation services across Australia, Papua New Guinea, and South East Asia to the resources sector. Its geographic scope, customer profile (mining majors), and reliance on regional aircraft are highly comparable to Alliance's core FIFO franchise.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AllianceQQ

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alliance Aviation Services