Suburban Air Freight

What Suburban Air Freight does

Suburban Air Freight is a privately held, all-cargo regional air carrier founded in 1984 and headquartered at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska. The company operates scheduled and charter cargo services across the contiguous 48 states, Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean, and Cuba using a fleet of Beech 1900C and Cessna 208B SuperCargomaster turbine aircraft equipped with on-board radar, known-icing certification, GPS, and modern communications and navigation avionics. This configuration enables all-weather, single-pilot operations, and the company reports a sustained 99% on-time dispatch reliability supported by a policy of maintaining spare aircraft, pilots, and maintenance staff. Beyond commercial scheduled routes serving major package and freight forwarders (including dedicated feeder work for DHL-style integrators), the company provides 24-hour ad-hoc charter services for loads from one pound to 30,000 pounds with a 1-hour-or-less response time, and HAZMAT-certified handling including DOT SP 7060 party status for nuclear and radioactive materials transport granted in late 2008.

The business is structured through three units: Suburban Air Freight, Inc. (main scheduled and charter operations), Suburban Air Express, Inc. (Alaska-division operations supporting US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, and Alaska Fire Service contracts using Aero Commanders, Cessna Caravans, and Cessna Citation Jets), and Suburban Air Services, Inc. (in-house aircraft maintenance on Beech 1900 and Cessna Caravan airframes and Pratt & Whitney PT6-A engines). Revenue combines long-term scheduled cargo contracts (recurring), per-trip charter work (transactional), and third-party maintenance services. The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales to freight forwarders, integrators, and government agencies, with a 24-hour dispatch operation and toll-free phone outreach; the company maintains a small (11-50 employees), long-tenured workforce and does not disclose revenue or ownership structure.

Name

Suburban Air Freight

Legal name

Suburban Air Freight, Inc.

Website

https://subair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Suburban Air Freight is a privately held regional air cargo carrier founded in 1984, operating all-weather scheduled and charter freight services in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean for major package forwarders and federal and state government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Cargo Services

NAICS

Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

General Cargo Air Freight Carriers (Scheduled & Charter) (TLADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Air Cargo Charter Specialists (On-Demand) (TLADAAAE), Regional / Feeder Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAN), Time-Critical Air Charter & On-Demand Air Freight (TLADANAA)

Keywords

• Regional air cargo
• Scheduled cargo services
• Cargo charter flights
• Aircraft maintenance services
• Hazardous materials transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scheduled Cargo Contracts: All-weather, scheduled cargo service contracts with major package and freight forwarders, providing recurring revenue through long-term contractual relationships for routes in contiguous 48 states, Canada and the Caribbean
2. Cargo Charter Services: Non-scheduled charter service offered on a per-trip basis, providing one-time or ad-hoc revenue from customers needing to move cargo of any size, from one pound to 30,000 pounds across the country. Includes HAZMAT-certified transport and specialized handling
3. Aircraft Maintenance Services: Suburban Air Services, Inc. provides complete maintenance on Beech 1900 and Cessna Caravan aircraft, including extensive PT6-A engine maintenance, hot sections, and heavy/light engine maintenance performed in-house

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Suburban Air Freight is an all-cargo air carrier providing all-weather scheduled cargo service and on-demand charter flights in the contiguous 48 states, Canada, and the Caribbean, using Beech 1900C and Cessna 208B SuperCargomaster turbine aircraft. The company supports major package and freight forwarders, offers HAZMAT and DOT SP 7060 nuclear/radioactive materials transport, and provides in-house aircraft maintenance and Alaska-based government support operations through its Suburban Air Express division.

Product overview

Suburban Air Freight is an all-cargo aviation transportation company operating since 1984, comprising three divisions: Suburban Air Freight, Inc. (main scheduled freight and charter service), Suburban Air Express, Inc. (Alaska division), and Suburban Air Services, Inc. (maintenance operations). The core offering combines scheduled cargo routes across the 48 states, Canada, and Caribbean with on-demand charter services, supported by in-house aircraft maintenance capabilities. Specialized services include nuclear/radioactive materials transport (DOT SP 7060), HAZMAT handling, and Alaska wildfire support operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Suburban Air Express: All-weather cargo service operating primarily in interior Alaska for major package and freight forwarders, with contracts supporting US Department of the Interior and Alaska Fire Service.

Products and services

• Scheduled Freight Service All-weather scheduled cargo service operating routes in the contiguous 48 states, Canada, and the Caribbean, using Beech 1900C and Cessna 208B SuperCargomaster aircraft with 99% on-time dispatch reliability, targeted at major package and freight forwarders.
• Cargo Charter Service On-demand cargo charter service offering professional pilots, meticulously maintained aircraft, and 1-hour or less response time for loads ranging from one pound to 30,000 pounds across the country, with 24-hour dispatch availability.
• Suburban Air Express (Alaska Division) All-weather cargo service operating primarily in interior Alaska with Aero Commanders, Cessna Caravans, and Cessna Citation Jets, supporting US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, and major package and freight forwarder contracts.
• Suburban Air Services (Aircraft Maintenance) Maintenance organization providing complete maintenance on Beech 1900 and Cessna Caravan aircraft, with extensive experience in Pratt & Whitney PT6-A engines, including hot sections and heavy/light engine maintenance, as well as major airframe repair and modifications.
• Nuclear and Radioactive Materials Transport Specialized DOT SP 7060-certified air cargo service for transportation of nuclear and radioactive materials, offered as a regulated specialized cargo capability within the company's scheduled and charter operations.
• HAZMAT Cargo Handling HAZMAT-certified cargo handling service for time-sensitive hazardous materials, including computer tapes and MIS/Data systems transport, available through the company's charter operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% On-Time Dispatch Reliability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ameriflight: Ameriflight is the largest U.S. regional cargo carrier and feeder for major integrators (UPS, FedEx, DHL), operating a large fleet of turboprop aircraft on scheduled and ad-hoc cargo routes. It is the closest direct competitor to Suburban in contracted feeder and on-demand air cargo charter.
• Mountain Air Cargo: Mountain Air Cargo operates as a FedEx Feeder contractor in the eastern U.S., flying Cessna Caravans on scheduled cargo routes. It is a direct analog to Suburban's role as an integrator feeder, with overlapping fleet type and mission profile.
• CSA Air: CSA Air operates a regional cargo feeder network for UPS and other integrators across the Midwest and Northeast using Cessna Caravan and similar turboprop aircraft. Closely comparable to Suburban in size, fleet, and contracted-feeder business model.
• Empire Airlines: Empire Airlines is a regional cargo carrier operating Cessna Caravans and ATR-72s as a FedEx Feeder and on charter work across the western U.S. Highly comparable to Suburban's all-cargo, all-weather scheduled and charter model.
• Key Lime Air: Key Lime Air operates scheduled cargo and charter services in the central U.S. using Cessna Caravans and Fairchild Swearingen Metros, with integrator feeder and HAZMAT work. Directly comparable in fleet, mission, and regional footprint.
• Northern Air Cargo: Northern Air Cargo is an Alaska-based scheduled and charter all-cargo carrier serving remote communities and integrators. Direct overlap with Suburban Air Express's Alaska operations, fleet type (Caravans, larger turboprops), and government/cargo customer mix.
• Lynden Air Cargo: Lynden Air Cargo operates scheduled and charter air freight in Alaska and the Pacific using Hercules and Convair platforms. Comparable to Suburban's Alaska division in mission (remote-area logistics, government support) with a heavier-lift capability.
• Everts Air Cargo: Everts Air Cargo operates scheduled and charter all-cargo service in Alaska and the lower-48 with DC-6, ATR, and Caravan aircraft. Directly comparable to Suburban Air Express on Alaska-region scheduled cargo and remote logistics support.
• Air Cargo Carriers: Air Cargo Carriers operates a regional scheduled cargo feeder network using Shorts and Fairchild aircraft for integrators across the U.S. Comparable to Suburban as a scheduled integrator feeder in the regional cargo niche.

Emerging players

• Castle Aviation: Castle Aviation operates scheduled cargo feeder services (DHL/FedEx) and on-demand charter across the Midwest using Metroliners and Caravans. Smaller-scale peer with overlapping mission and geography to Suburban's core route network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Suburban Air Freight