What Air Charter Service does

Air Charter Service (ACS), operating under parent Mountfitchet Limited, is a UK-headquartered global aircraft charter broker and the self-described world's largest in this category. Founded in 1991, the company arranges passenger charters (private jets, executive airliners, helicopters, group charters) and cargo charters through a network of 40+ offices across 20 countries with 800+ employees. In FY2025 (ending January 31, 2026) it reported $1.34 billion in revenue, arranged 35,467 charter flights across 206 countries and 2,323 airports, transported 437,368 passengers and nearly 90,000 tons of freight, and served customers ranging from high-net-worth individuals and corporates to governments, sports teams, entertainment tours, oil & gas operators, and humanitarian organizations.

The underlying platform combines a global brokerage operation with proprietary digital tooling: a 50,000-aircraft database for matching client requirements, the JetPortal web and mobile platform for booking management and empty-leg access, and a carbon offsetting methodology co-developed with Carbon Trade eXchange that uses ICAO fuel burn data to calculate flight-level emissions. The company also operates the Empyrean Jet Card subscription product, an in-house Time Critical division for urgent cargo and medical transport, and The Travel Division for adjacent luxury and corporate travel services. The founder's holding company structure (Mountfitchet Group) also wholly owns The Travel Division Ltd and various US-domiciled operating subsidiaries.

ACS makes money primarily through transaction-fee brokerage commissions embedded in charter prices, supplemented by recurring revenue from Jet Card subscriptions, managed-services revenue from ACMI/leasing contracts (which grew 168% in FY2025), and professional-services revenue from integrated travel arrangements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, though spot products (e.g., $1,200 per-seat eclipse flights) and carbon offset fees at 0.5% of booking value are visible. The go-to-market is sales-led, anchored on dedicated 24/7 account managers serving every client from inquiry through post-flight, supported by content marketing, SEO, and earned media around event-driven and crisis-response missions.

Name

Air Charter Service

Legal name

Mountfitchet Limited

Website

https://aircharterservice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Air Charter Service is a UK-headquartered global aircraft charter broker arranging private jet, group, and cargo charters through 40+ offices across 20 countries, serving high-net-worth individuals, corporates, governments, and specialized industries with $1.34B in FY2025 revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Aircraft Charter Brokerage

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (48121), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Flight Brokers & Air Charter Ticketing Agents (THAKALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter Brokerage & Charter Management (Passenger) (THABADAL), Charter Air Freight Forwarding (Full/Part Charter, ACMI Brokerage) (TLACAAAC), Group & ACMI Charter Airlines (Ad-hoc/Wet Lease) (TLAFABAC)

Keywords

• Private jet charter
• Group aircraft charter
• Cargo charter services
• Aircraft leasing ACMI
• Air ambulance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Surbiton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Jet Charter Brokerage: Revenue generated through brokerage commissions on private jet charter bookings. The company arranges charters and earns fees typically embedded in the charter price. Private jet revenue grew 19.1% in FY2025.
2. Group Charter Brokerage: Brokerage revenue from arranging larger aircraft charters including regional jets, VIP airliners, and wide-body aircraft for groups of 20+ passengers including corporate travel, tours, sports teams, and events.
3. Cargo Charter Services: Revenue from arranging cargo aircraft charters including urgent deliveries, dangerous goods, heavy/outsize cargo, humanitarian relief, and specialized transport including pharmaceuticals and animals.
4. ACMI & Leasing: Aircraft leasing and wet/damp/dry lease contract arrangements for airlines, showing 168% growth in FY2025 turnover.
5. Time Critical Services: Urgent and time-sensitive charter services including medical transport, organ delivery, and emergency response logistics, showing 76% growth in FY2025.
6. Jet Card (The Empyrean Card): Membership program offering flexible travel access with guaranteed availability and preferential pricing for frequent private jet travelers.
7. Travel Division Services: Full-service travel agency handling accommodation, chauffeurs, yachts, tours and comprehensive trip planning integrated with charter services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Air Charter Service (ACS) is the world's largest aircraft charter broker, arranging private jet, group, and cargo charter flights on behalf of clients. The company operates through 40+ offices across 20 countries with access to over 50,000 aircraft globally, providing dedicated 24/7 account managers who source aircraft, coordinate logistics, and tailor solutions for business, leisure, medical, humanitarian, and specialty transport requirements.

Product overview

Air Charter Service is the world's largest aircraft charter broker offering private jet, group aircraft, and cargo charter services. The company operates across multiple divisions including Private Charter (private jets, executive airliners, helicopters, air taxi, jet cards, air ambulance, aircraft sales and leasing, empty legs, and luxury travel packages), Group Charter (personnel logistics, series charters, emergency response, tours and roadshows, events, charter concepts, group travel, aircraft leasing, and sports), Cargo Charter (urgent cargo, dangerous goods, heavy and outsize cargo, humanitarian relief, remote destinations, onboard courier, AOG solutions, animal transport, and pharmaceutical transport), and Specialist Solutions (industry-specific services for airlines, automotive, corporate travel, government, entertainment, oil and gas, travel companies, and orchestras). The company also provides a JetPortal web platform and mobile apps for booking management, along with carbon offsetting services through Carbon Trade eXchange.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Jet Charter Charter booking service arranging private jets, executive airliners, and helicopters for business and leisure travel; revenue grew 19.1% in FY2025.
• Group Aircraft Charter Charter arrangements for groups of 20+ passengers using larger aircraft including regional jet airliners, VIP airliners, and wide-body aircraft for corporate travel, sports teams, tours, and events.
• Cargo Aircraft Charter Full range of cargo aircraft and helicopters for urgent packages, dangerous goods, heavy/outsize consignments, humanitarian relief, and specialized transport including pharmaceuticals and animals.
• Helicopter Charter Flexible point-to-point travel via chartered helicopters, including event and corporate transport solutions.
• Air Taxi Cost-efficient short-haul charter services for travelers seeking on-demand regional air transport.
• The Empyrean Card (Jet Card) Membership program offering flexible travel access with pre-purchased flight hours, guaranteed aircraft availability, and preferential pricing for frequent private jet travelers on multi-year contracts.
• Air Ambulance Medical transport services arranging chartered aircraft for patients requiring quick travel, integrated with broader charter capabilities.
• Aircraft Sales and Private Jet Leasing Brokerage services for buying and selling private aircraft along with short and long-term private jet leasing options.
• Empty Legs Reduced-price private jet charters utilizing otherwise empty return legs, accessed through the JetPortal platform.
• Private Jet Packages and Luxury Vacations End-to-end luxury travel packages combining private jet flights, accommodations, and curated experiences for high-net-worth travelers.
• The Travel Division Full-service travel agency handling accommodation, chauffeurs, yachts, tours, and comprehensive trip planning integrated with charter services.
• Aircraft Leasing (ACMI) Aircraft leasing arrangements including wet, damp (ACMI), dry, and hybrid lease contracts for airlines and operators requiring short or long-term capacity.
• Time Critical Services Urgent and time-sensitive charter services including medical transport, organ delivery, AOG solutions, onboard courier, and emergency response logistics; 76% growth in FY2025.
• JetPortal Online Platform and Mobile Apps Proprietary web-based platform and mobile apps (iOS/Android) enabling clients to manage charter bookings, access empty leg flights, view aircraft guides, and obtain private jet pricing estimates.
• Carbon Offsetting Service Voluntary carbon offsetting program allowing customers to offset flight emissions through investments in certified climate projects, priced at 0.5% of charter booking value.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17.1% increase in charter flights to 35,467 in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Avinode Group (including Schedaero and CargoAi): Avinode operates the leading B2B marketplace and technology platform for the charter industry, connecting operators and brokers. Adjacent ecosystem participant to ACS — many operators in ACS's 50,000-aircraft database transact through Avinode-style platforms.

Broad incumbents

• NetJets (Berkshire Hathaway): NetJets is the largest fractional jet ownership and Jet Card provider globally, offering guaranteed access to a fleet of aircraft. Overlaps with ACS's Empyrean Jet Card offering but operates a wholly owned fleet model rather than brokering third-party aircraft.
• Vista Global (VistaJet): Vista Global operates one of the world's largest business aviation platforms, including VistaJet's fleet-based private jet programs and XO's on-demand charter marketplace. Comparable to ACS as a major player in the global private aviation services space, though Vista is more vertically integrated with owned fleet and Jet Card membership.

Direct peers

• ACASS (Aviation Capital & Services): ACASS is a global aircraft management, charter, and ACMI leasing broker serving private and commercial operators. Directly comparable to ACS in the ACMI/wet-lease and managed services space, particularly relevant given ACS's 168% growth in ACMI & Leasing.
• Air Partner: Air Partner is a long-established UK-based global charter broker offering private jet, group charter, and cargo services, with similar time-critical and government clients. Direct competitor to ACS, particularly in the UK and European markets, with comparable product breadth.
• Chapman Freeborn: Chapman Freeborn is one of the largest independent aircraft charter brokers globally, offering passenger, group, and cargo charter services across multiple divisions including ACMI and time-critical. Closest direct competitor to ACS with a similar asset-light brokerage model and global office footprint.
• PrivateFly (by Directional Aviation): PrivateFly is a global private jet booking platform and charter broker, now part of Directional Aviation/Carlyle Aviation. Directly comparable to ACS in the online private jet charter brokerage segment, with similar product breadth across passengers and cargo.
• Magma Aviation: Magma Aviation is a global charter and ACMI leasing specialist, particularly strong in cargo charter and wet-lease solutions for airlines. Directly comparable to ACS's Cargo Charter and ACMI & Leasing divisions, which together represent a significant and rapidly growing share of ACS revenue.

Emerging players

• Wheels Up: Wheels Up is a membership-based private aviation company offering on-demand charter and Jet Card services in the US market. Comparable in the Jet Card/on-demand charter segment, though more US-focused and tech-led compared to ACS's global high-touch brokerage model.
• Jettly: Jettly is a digital private jet charter marketplace and membership platform offering on-demand booking with empty-leg inventory. Comparable to ACS's Empyrean Card and JetPortal product strategy but positioned as a digital-first challenger to traditional brokers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/110790
• Facebookfacebook.com/acsaircharter
• Xx.com/acs_aircharter
• Instagraminstagram.com/aircharterservice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AirCharterService

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Air Charter Service