21 Air
21 Air, LLC is a privately held FAA Part 121 all-cargo airline providing ACMI, CMI, and Charter services to major air cargo consolidators, with a Boeing 767 freighter fleet primarily dedicated to Amazon's e-commerce network and enterprise customers including DHL Express and Cargojet.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDoral, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 21 Air does
21 Air, LLC is a privately held U.S. all-cargo airline founded on February 25, 2014, and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company operates as a certificated FAA Part 121 All Cargo Carrier (AOC #: 21GA896P) with full SMS implementation compliance, providing three core service lines: ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) wet-lease services, CMI (Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) services for customer-owned aircraft, and on-demand Charter services. It serves major air cargo consolidators, global schedule operators, and e-commerce customers including Amazon (Amazon Prime Air / Amazon Air Cargo), DHL Express, Cargojet, and Avianca Cargo.
The company's operating technology centers on a fleet of Boeing 767 converted freighters — the 767-200ERSF (42-ton payload) and the 767-300ERBCF (55-ton payload with all-digital flight deck and improved fuel efficiency). Operations are supported by a 24/7 MIA Operations Center in Miami integrated with the Greensboro corporate office, crew teams stationed at MIA, and a CVG field maintenance base in Erlanger, Kentucky. The company has been authorized to conduct scheduled cargo services between the United States and Mexico and is pursuing FAA certification for Boeing 777 freighters (expected end of 2026) to enter long-haul international markets.
21 Air generates revenue through contractual ACMI agreements (recurring wet-lease), managed CMI services, and transaction-based charter sales. Distribution is entirely B2B via direct enterprise sales and embedded partnerships, most notably operating Amazon's domestic and international cargo network. The company is majority-owned by billionaire Jim Crane, who is in the process of acquiring the remaining 25% stake from Canadian investor Cargojet (FAA approved, closing 2026). Leadership transitioned in 2026 with Keith Winters appointed interim CEO following Tim Strauss's departure.
21 Air firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 21 Air
- Legal name
- 21 Air, LLC
- Website
- https://21air.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- 21 Air, LLC is a privately held FAA Part 121 all-cargo airline providing ACMI, CMI, and Charter services to major air cargo consolidators, with a Boeing 767 freighter fleet primarily dedicated to Amazon's e-commerce network and enterprise customers including DHL Express and Cargojet.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
21 Air industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Cargo Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Scheduled Air Transportation (48111), Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)
- akta.pro primary industry
- ACMI / Wet-Lease Cargo Operators (THABAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers) (THABAEAA), Charter Air Freight Forwarding (Full/Part Charter, ACMI Brokerage) (TLACAAAC)
Keywords
Where 21 Air is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Doral
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
21 Air business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- ACMI Services: Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance leasing agreements providing customers with wet-leased aircraft capacity. The company provides specialized crews, meticulous scheduled maintenance, and professional industry management protocols that are cost-effective and time-efficient. 55-40 ton aircraft capacity makes them suitable for various cargo needs.
- CMI Services: Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance services where 21 Air provides operational management and crew for customer-owned aircraft. Customized flexible solutions to fit customer requirements.
- Charter Services: International charter sales executives harness total aircraft capacity availability for on-demand cargo transportation needs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
21 Air product offering
Product offeringCore offering
21 Air provides ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance), CMI (Crew, Maintenance, Insurance for customer-owned aircraft), and Charter cargo services to air cargo consolidators and global schedule operators. The company operates a fleet of Boeing 767-200ERSF (42-ton payload) and 767-300ERBCF (55-ton payload) freighters under FAA FAR Part 121 All Cargo Carrier certification, with a 24/7 Miami Operations Center supporting time-critical cargo schedules for customers including Amazon Prime Air, DHL Express, Cargojet, and Avianca Cargo.
Product overview
21 Air operates as a FAR Part 121 All Cargo Carrier providing three core service lines: ACMI Services (aircraft plus crew leasing with full maintenance and insurance), CMI Services (crew, maintenance, and insurance for customer-owned aircraft), and Charter Services (full aircraft charter capacity). The company operates a fleet of Boeing 767 freighters (767-200ERSF with 42-ton payload and 767-300ERBCF with 55-ton payload). Services also include a Jumpseat Application system for crew travel requests and 24/7 Miami Operations Center support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ACMI Services Wet-lease ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) service providing customers with full aircraft capacity supported by specialized crews, FAA-compliant scheduled maintenance, and insurance. Available payload capacity ranges from 40 to 55 tons using Boeing 767 freighters, serving major air cargo consolidators and global schedule operators.
- CMI Services CMI (Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) service in which 21 Air provides operational management and certified flight crews for customer-owned aircraft. Customized flexible solutions tailored to fit specific customer operational requirements, with full insurance coverage and FAA-compliant maintenance oversight.
- Charter Services On-demand international cargo charter service providing customers with full aircraft capacity availability through experienced charter sales executives. Supports time-critical and ad-hoc freight transportation needs using the Boeing 767 freighter fleet.
Quantifiable outcome
- Triple revenue per aircraft projected with Boeing 777 upgrade
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use 21 Air
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
21 Air technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
21 Air partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Amazon (Amazon Prime Air / Amazon Air Cargo)core21 Air is majority-owned by billionaire Jim Crane and operates Amazon's domestic e-commerce network. The partnership involves operating dedicated cargo routes for Amazon including the first South American dedicated cargo route launched April 8, 2025 to Colombia. Amazon Air Cargo has entered the for-hire airfreight market offering services to third-party shippers alongside its own parcel volumes.
- DHL Expresscore21 Air provides freight services for DHL Express as part of their cargo network operations. The partnership involves operating cargo flights and providing capacity for DHL's express delivery operations.
- Avianca CargominorAvianca Cargo books shipments on backhaul flights from Bogotá to Miami as part of the Amazon Air dedicated South American cargo route operated by 21 Air. This partnership enables additional revenue on return flights.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
21 Air competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Atlas Air Worldwide: Atlas Air is the largest ACMI/wet-lease cargo operator in the world, running a fleet of 747 and 767 freighters for Amazon, DHL, and other integrators. It is the most direct large-scale peer to 21 Air's ACMI/CMI/charter cargo model.
- Western Global Airlines: Western Global operates a fleet of MD-11 and 777 freighters providing ACMI, charter, and scheduled cargo services, competing head-to-head with 21 Air for Amazon, DHL, and integrator contracts. It is one of the closest mid-size ACMI cargo peers.
- Air Transport Services Group (ATSG): ATSG provides leased 767 and 777 freighters plus crew, maintenance, and insurance services to Amazon Air, DHL, and other cargo operators through its subsidiaries including ABX Air and Omni Air International. Direct overlap with 21 Air's ACMI/CMI product.
- ABX Air: ABX Air is a wholly-owned ATSG subsidiary that operates 767 freighters for DHL and Amazon Air under ACMI/wet-lease arrangements. It is a directly comparable 767 ACMI cargo operator in the same customer ecosystem as 21 Air.
- Kalitta Air: Kalitta Air operates 747 and 767 freighters providing ACMI and charter cargo services globally, with deep relationships across express integrators. Comparable to 21 Air as a U.S.-based widebody ACMI/charter cargo carrier.
- National Airlines: National Airlines operates a fleet of 747 and 767 freighters providing ACMI, charter, and on-demand cargo services for integrators and the U.S. military. Comparable ACMI/widebody freighter profile to 21 Air.
- Amerijet International Airlines: Amerijet operates 767 freighters offering ACMI, charter, and scheduled cargo services focused on the Americas (including the Caribbean and Latin America), competing with 21 Air in Miami-anchored LatAm/Caribbean lanes.
- ASL Airlines Ireland: ASL Airlines operates a fleet of 737 and 767 freighters providing ACMI, wet-lease, and charter services to integrators like Amazon, DHL, and FedEx across Europe and transatlantic. A directly comparable European ACMI cargo peer with overlapping e-commerce integrator customers.
Emerging players
- Cargojet: Cargojet is a Canadian scheduled and ACMI cargo carrier that held a 25% stake in 21 Air until its 2026 sale to Jim Crane. It is a customer and former investor, sharing the same integrator client base and operating similar 767/757 equipment.
Broad incumbents
- Cargolux Airlines: Cargolux is a large European all-cargo carrier operating 747 freighters providing scheduled, charter, and ACMI services globally. A broad incumbent serving many of the same integrator and forwarder customers that 21 Air addresses through ACMI.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
21 Air social profiles
Digital presence21 Air compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
21 Air financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
21 Air leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
21 Air funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
21 Air M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 21 Air
What does 21 Air do?
21 Air provides ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance), CMI (Crew, Maintenance, Insurance for customer-owned aircraft), and Charter cargo services to air cargo consolidators and global schedule operators. The company operates a fleet of Boeing 767-200ERSF (42-ton payload) and 767-300ERBCF (55-ton payload) freighters under FAA FAR Part 121 All Cargo Carrier certification, with a 24/7 Miami Operations Center supporting time-critical cargo schedules for customers including Amazon Prime Air, DHL Express, Cargojet, and Avianca Cargo.
Is 21 Air a public or private company?
21 Air is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 21 Air founded?
21 Air was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is 21 Air based?
21 Air is headquartered in Doral, United States, in the North America region.
How does 21 Air make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. ACMI Services are the primary driver. The others are CMI Services and charter Services.
Who are 21 Air's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Atlas Air Worldwide, Western Global Airlines, Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), ABX Air, Kalitta Air, National Airlines, Amerijet International Airlines and ASL Airlines Ireland. Cargojet is listed as an emerging player. Cargolux Airlines is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does 21 Air have an API?
No public API is recorded for 21 Air.
What industry is 21 Air in?
21 Air's product category is Air Cargo Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABAEAC, ACMI / Wet-Lease Cargo Operators, with a secondary code of THABAEAA, Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers). Its NAICS code is 481212 and its SIC code is 4522.