Alpine Air Express

What Alpine Air Express does

Alpine Air Express is a Utah-headquartered (Provo) regional air cargo carrier operating under a FAR Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate held continuously since 1979. The company's core business is on-demand, non-scheduled regional air freight under contract with major logistics customers including UPS, USPS, and Amazon, primarily across the Western United States (Colorado, Nevada, California, South Dakota, Utah) with footprints extending into Atlanta and Omaha following acquisitions. Alpine self-describes as the largest all-cargo regional on-demand contract airline in America.

Alpine's competitive differentiation rests on a proprietary fleet stack and exclusive engineering capability. The company operates Beech 99 aircraft (up to 440 cu ft / 3,500 lb capacity) for smaller-volume routes and Beech 1900C aircraft (720 cu ft / 6,000 lb) for mid-range cargo, with the flagship being the Beech 1900D Super Freighter — an FAA-approved cargo conversion (Supplemental Type Certificate granted 2018) that Alpine spent four years and roughly $5 million developing, yielding 40% more capacity, 23% more range, and 7% more speed than the standard 1900C. The Super Freighter is operated single-piloted, claimed as the largest single-piloted cargo aircraft in the world with 900 cu ft cabin volume and up to 7,439 lb payload, and is also commercialized to third-party buyers through a SkyQuest International distribution arrangement.

Revenue is generated through two streams: recurring contractual cargo services for major logistics providers and on-demand charter services quoted through dedicated charter sales (24/7 dispatcher support). Pricing is contract-negotiated and undisclosed publicly. Since 2014 the company has been owned by aerospace-focused private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, under whose ownership Alpine has executed two regional acquisitions (Great Lakes Airlines 2020, Suburban Air Freight 2022), expanded into Nevada/California/Georgia, implemented a new maintenance tracking system in 2019, completed a corporate rebrand, and grown its UPS business threefold while improving from 9th to 2nd in UPS air cargo provider rankings. The company employs 101-250 people and reports 99%+ on-time performance.

Name

Alpine Air Express

Legal name

Alpine Air Express, Inc

Website

https://www.alpine-air.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Alpine Air Express is a Provo, Utah-based regional air cargo carrier operating under a FAR Part 135 certificate since 1979, providing contract and on-demand cargo services for UPS, USPS, and Amazon across the Western United States using a proprietary Beechcraft 1900D Super Freighter conversion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Air Cargo Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Air Express Carriers (Air + Ground) (TLADAAAC)

Keywords

• Regional air cargo
• Part 135 carrier
• Contract air freight
• Aircraft cargo conversion
• Express package transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Provo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Air Cargo Contract Services: Contract-based cargo operations serving major logistics companies including UPS, USPS, and Amazon. The company operates as a non-scheduled, on-demand Part 135 air cargo operator, transporting mail, packages, and time-sensitive cargo throughout the Western United States.
2. Charter Services: On-demand charter services for cargo and potentially passenger transport, with dedicated charter quote requests and around-the-clock dispatch support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Alpine Air Express operates as a FAR Part 135 on-demand regional air cargo carrier, transporting time-sensitive mail, packages, and freight on behalf of UPS, USPS, Amazon, and other logistics customers across the Western United States. The company runs a fleet of Beech 99, Beech 1900C, and proprietary Beechcraft 1900D Super Freighter aircraft, the latter featuring an FAA-approved passenger-to-cargo conversion that the company also markets to third-party operators. Complementary offerings include 24/7 charter services and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Alpine Air Express is an air freight company operating as a FAR Part 135 air carrier since 1979, offering on-demand regional cargo services across the western United States. The core product portfolio centers on proprietary cargo aircraft: the Beech 99 for smaller-volume routes (up to 440 cu ft), the Beech 1900C for mid-range cargo (720 cu ft with pod), and the flagship Beech 1900D Super Freighter — a company-designed FAA-STC-approved passenger-to-cargo conversion claimed as the world's largest single-piloted cargo aircraft (900 cu ft, 7,439 lb payload). Services include scheduled cargo contracts with UPS and USPS, 24/7 on-demand charter, and maintenance operations. The company also sells Fly Wear branded merchandise. Acquisitions of Suburban Air Freight (2022) and Great Lakes Airlines (2020) expanded the fleet with additional aircraft and routes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Super Freighter: Proprietary Beechcraft 1900D cargo conversion program - the largest single piloted cargo aircraft in the world, providing 40% capacity increase and 23% range increase over the standard 1900C model.

Products and services

• Air Cargo Services (FAR Part 135) FAR Part 135 on-demand regional air cargo transportation services for time-sensitive packages, mail, and freight, contracted to major logistics providers including UPS and USPS across the Western United States.
• Super Freighter (Beechcraft 1900D Cargo Conversion) Proprietary FAA-approved STC passenger-to-cargo conversion of the Beechcraft 1900D, marketed as the largest single-piloted cargo aircraft in the world. Delivers 900 cu ft cabin volume, 7,439 lb total payload, 1,356 nm max range, and 280 kts max speed; offered to third-party operators via SkyQuest International.
• Charter Services 24/7 on-demand cargo charter services with around-the-clock dispatchers for flight following and charter quote requests via dedicated email ([email protected]) and phone (406-220-5661).
• Fly Wear Branded Merchandise Branded apparel and accessories including hoodies, t-shirts, polo shirts, hats, socks, backpacks, and mugs featuring Alpine Air branding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% capacity increase over standard 1900C model
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Suburban Air Freight IncmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2022Alpine Air acquired Suburban Air Freight Inc, a Part-135 regional air cargo carrier headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The acquisition brought ten additional aircraft, five new routes, and Suburban's talented maintenance operations team including leadership of Geoff Gallup and Jay Armstrong. First Suburban Air aircraft transferred onto Alpine's certificate in September 2022.
• Great Lakes AirlinesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Acquired all assets of Great Lakes Airlines in 2020, expanding operational footprint.
• UPScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor customer relationship with UPS for air cargo transport services. Alpine improved ranking from 9th to 2nd among UPS air cargo providers and tripled business over 4 years.
• United States Postal Service (USPS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple contracts with the United States Postal Service for mail transport services.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey customer for cargo shipping services as part of Alpine's strategic client base.
• SkyQuest InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorking alongside SkyQuest International to provide purchasing experience for the Super Freighter aircraft conversions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ameriflight: Ameriflight is the largest US FAR Part 135 cargo carrier, providing scheduled and on-demand regional air freight for UPS, USPS, and other integrators. It directly overlaps Alpine on Part 135 air cargo contract services and integrator relationships, making it the closest comparable competitor.
• Western Air Express: Western Air Express is a regional Part 135 cargo operator serving USPS and integrator customers across the western United States. It shares Alpine's core business of contract-based regional air cargo with similar turboprop fleet and customer profile.
• Wiggins Airways: Wiggins Airways is a longtime regional air cargo carrier operating for integrators from East Coast hubs. Comparable to Alpine as a Part 135 cargo operator running contract feeder routes with similar aircraft types.
• CSA Air: CSA Air is a regional cargo carrier providing contract air freight services, primarily supporting UPS in the Midwest and Eastern US. It is structurally similar to Alpine in business model, regulatory posture, and integrator dependence.
• Mountain Air Cargo: Mountain Air Cargo is a regional Part 135 cargo operator running FedEx feeder routes with Cessna 208 and similar turboprop aircraft. It mirrors Alpine's business model of contract regional air cargo with a single dominant integrator.
• Northern Air Cargo: Northern Air Cargo is a regional all-cargo carrier operating scheduled and charter services primarily in the Western US and Alaska. Comparable to Alpine in fleet mix (turboprop freighters) and regional on-demand cargo focus.
• Gulfstream Cargo: Gulfstream Cargo operates as a regional Part 135 cargo carrier serving integrators and shippers in the southeastern United States. Comparable to Alpine in non-scheduled regional air cargo with turboprop aircraft and integrator contract model.

Broad incumbents

• ABX Air: ABX Air is a larger scheduled and charter cargo carrier operating a widebody freighter fleet for DHL and other integrators. It overlaps with Alpine on air cargo but operates at a substantially larger scale and with different aircraft types.

Others

• Precision Conversions: Precision Conversions holds the Supplemental Type Certificate for the Beech 1900C cargo conversion, a direct competitor technology to Alpine's proprietary 1900D STC. It is adjacent as a competing conversion provider rather than a cargo operator.
• SkyQuest International: SkyQuest International is an aircraft sales, brokerage, and conversion services firm. Alpine partners with SkyQuest on Super Freighter aircraft acquisition, making it a directly tied adjacent ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alpine-air
• Instagraminstagram.com/alpineairexpress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Alpine Air Express