CSA Air
CSA Air is a Part 135-certified express cargo carrier operating exclusively as a FedEx feeder, flying 25+ Cessna 208 aircraft on 35+ daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across the Upper Midwest and Northeast. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air T, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRT).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersKingsford, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CSA Air does
CSA Air, Inc. is a Part 135-certified express cargo carrier operating exclusively as a feeder for FedEx, providing flight services across the Upper Midwest and, since March 2024, into the Northeast (Maine). Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Kingsford, Michigan, the company operates a fleet of more than 25 Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 glass panel avionics, executing more than 35 daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across five states. CSA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air T, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRT), a holding company that also owns Mountain Air Cargo, Worldwide Aircraft Services, and Royal Aircraft Services, and CSA's CEO also leads MAC and other Air T subsidiaries, indicating centralized management across the portfolio.
The company's core product is dedicated FedEx express cargo feeder service, with supporting programs including the FAA-approved C208 SIC Training Program and the Purple Runway Pathway Program that provides CSA pilots a guaranteed interview pathway to Mountain Air Cargo and ultimately FedEx after 18 months of service. CSA participates in multiple aviation safety programs (SMS, IEP, FOQA, ASAP), maintains a Corporate SMS with OmniSMS and the FAA, and supports flight operations from primary crew bases in Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids, Indianapolis, Sioux Falls, and Grand Rapids. Recent operational initiatives include fleet modernization with three new C208 G1000 aircraft, Acumatica cloud ERP implementation with Blytheco, and a Castle Aviation MRO partnership to expand maintenance capacity.
CSA generates revenue through a private contractual arrangement with FedEx under a feed-fee structure, with no public pricing disclosed and no alternative cargo customers identified. Distribution is entirely direct-to-FedEx, go-to-market is sales-led through FedEx's feeder network program, and the company positions itself on a people-first pilot culture emphasizing daily home time and flexible scheduling as a recruitment and retention differentiator in a tight U.S. pilot labor market.
CSA Air firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CSA Air
- Legal name
- CSA Air, Inc.
- Website
- https://csaair.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CSA Air is a Part 135-certified express cargo carrier operating exclusively as a FedEx feeder, flying 25+ Cessna 208 aircraft on 35+ daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across the Upper Midwest and Northeast. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air T, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRT).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CSA Air industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Cargo Feeder Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Express / Time-Definite Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- On-Demand Scheduled Commuter (Part 135/Small Aircraft Scheduled) (THABACAN)
Keywords
Where CSA Air is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kingsford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
CSA Air business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- FedEx Express Cargo Operations: CSA Air operates as an express cargo feeder carrier exclusively for FedEx, providing flight services across the Upper Midwest. Revenue is generated through contractual cargo operations with FedEx as the primary customer.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
CSA Air product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CSA Air operates an exclusive express cargo feeder service for FedEx, providing flight operations across the Upper Midwest (and more recently the Northeast) with a fleet of over 25 Cessna 208 aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 glass panel avionics. The airline runs more than 35 daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across 5 states, holding FAA Part 135 certification and participating in multiple aviation safety programs (SMS, IEP, FOQA, ASAP). Crew bases are located in Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids, Indianapolis, Sioux Falls, and Grand Rapids.
Product overview
CSA Air is an express cargo carrier operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Air T, Inc. The company's core product is its express cargo carrier services for FedEx, operating a fleet of Cessna 208 (Caravan) aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 glass panel avionics. The fleet provides over 35 daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across the Upper Midwest (5 states). Supporting the core cargo operations are the C208 G1000 aircraft (advanced avionics variant), the FAA-approved C208 SIC Training Program (enabling Second-In-Command crew positions), and the Purple Runway Pathway Program (providing career progression to FedEx mainline through Mountain Air Cargo). CSA Air's crew bases are located in Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids, Indianapolis, and Sioux Falls.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Express Cargo Carrier Services for FedEx Contracted daily express cargo feeder service operating a fleet of 25+ Cessna 208 (Caravan) aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 glass panel avionics, delivering 35+ daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across five U.S. states (Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, South Dakota, Iowa) and serving as an exclusive FedEx feeder in the Upper Midwest.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35+ daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across 5 states
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CSA Air
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CSA Air technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
CSA Air partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- FedExcoreCSA Air operates exclusively as an express cargo feeder carrier for FedEx, providing flight services across the Upper Midwest. The partnership is the core business relationship, with CSA's fleet of over 25 Cessna 208 aircraft specifically designed for FedEx operations, operating 35+ daily flights to nearly 25 destinations.
- Castle AviationsupportingCSA Air partnered with Castle Aviation on MRO Business to increase maintenance capacity and continue business growth. The partnership enables faster turnaround times and increased flexibility for CSA Air's maintenance operations.
- Mountain Air CargocoreCSA Air partners with Mountain Air Cargo (MAC) on the Purple Runway Pathway Program, which provides CSA pilots a pathway to FedEx through MAC. CSA pilots serve 18 months in their duty position, leading to guaranteed interviews with MAC and opportunity to apply to the FedEx Purple Runway Program.
- Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA)supportingMAC and CSA Air are members of RACCA, attending annual conferences and contributing to the RACCA Scholarship Fund with donations supporting aviation career education for the next generation air cargo workforce.
- AcumaticasupportingCSA Air selected Acumatica, the fastest growing ERP company, as their new accounting software. The cloud-based ERP system offers streamlined integration with Concur and ADP platforms.
- BlythecosupportingCSA Air partnered with Blytheco, a company assisting companies implement ERP systems for over 40 years, as their implementation consultants for the Acumatica accounting software.
- St. Jude Children's Research HospitalsupportingCSA Air has been a proud sponsor of T-Time for the Children of St. Jude since 2021 and assumed leadership of the golf tournament in 2025, rebranding it as The Purple Tee. The event has raised over $30,000 for St. Jude.
- Delta State UniversityminorCSA Air and MAC participated in Purple Runway Takeover Day at Delta State University, home of the 'Flying Okra', as part of the FedEx Purple Runway Pathway Program recruitment.
- Pink Ribbon OpenminorMAC, CSA Air, and WASI are sponsors of the Pink Ribbon Open (Breast Cancer Eradication Initiative), a 31-year-old LPGA event raising funds for women's health, breast cancer treatment and prevention in the Greater Memphis Area.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CSA Air competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Empire Airlines: Empire Airlines is one of the largest FedEx Feeder operators in the U.S., running a Cessna 208 Caravan fleet on contract FedEx Express routes across multiple regions. Directly comparable business model, fleet, and customer.
- Wiggins Airways: Wiggins Airways operates FedEx feeder cargo flights primarily in the Northeast U.S. using a Caravan-class fleet, making it a direct competitor for regional FedEx feeder contracts similar to CSA's.
- Corporate Flight Management: Corporate Flight Management operates Part 135 passenger and cargo charter services with a Cessna Caravan fleet, including FedEx feeder operations in the Southeastern U.S. Direct comparator in fleet type and contract model.
- Mountain Air Cargo: Mountain Air Cargo (MAC) is CSA Air's sister company under Air T, Inc. and operates an identical FedEx Cessna 208 Caravan feeder model, sharing the same CEO (Mike Bandalan) and the Purple Runway pilot pathway. They are the closest direct peer.
- Baron Aviation Services: Baron Aviation Services operates Cessna 208 Caravan express cargo feeder services for FedEx across the Southern and Southeastern U.S. Same Part 135 cargo feeder business model as CSA Air.
Regional players
- Lynden Air Cargo: Lynden Air Cargo operates scheduled and chartered cargo flights, primarily serving Alaska and remote regions with a comparable small-aircraft feeder model, though with a different geographic focus than CSA.
Broad incumbents
- Ameriflight: Ameriflight is the largest U.S. scheduled cargo carrier and a longstanding FedEx feeder contractor with a larger and more diverse fleet (Cessna 208, Beechcraft 1900, Saab 340) than CSA, making it a broader-scale incumbent comparator.
- Air T, Inc. Air T, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRT) is CSA Air's publicly traded parent company, operating a portfolio of overnight air cargo, ground support equipment, and MRO businesses. Relevant as the broader incumbent under which CSA operates.
Emerging players
- Merlin Airmotive: Merlin Airmotive is an aviation services provider with Part 145 MRO capabilities supporting Caravan-class aircraft, comparable to CSA's MRO function and overlapping cargo feeder exposure.
- Castle Aviation: Castle Aviation is a Part 135 cargo and passenger operator that partnered with CSA Air on MRO business. Comparable fleet size and operating model, though its primary business mix differs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CSA Air social profiles
Digital presenceCSA Air compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
CSA Air financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CSA Air leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
CSA Air funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CSA 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 CSA Air
What does CSA Air do?
CSA Air operates an exclusive express cargo feeder service for FedEx, providing flight operations across the Upper Midwest (and more recently the Northeast) with a fleet of over 25 Cessna 208 aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 glass panel avionics. The airline runs more than 35 daily flights to nearly 25 destinations across 5 states, holding FAA Part 135 certification and participating in multiple aviation safety programs (SMS, IEP, FOQA, ASAP). Crew bases are located in Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids, Indianapolis, Sioux Falls, and Grand Rapids.
Is CSA Air a public or private company?
CSA Air is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CSA Air founded?
CSA Air was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CSA Air based?
CSA Air is headquartered in Kingsford, United States, in the North America region.
How does CSA Air make money?
One revenue line is on record: fedEx Express Cargo Operations.
Who are CSA Air's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Empire Airlines, Wiggins Airways, Corporate Flight Management, Mountain Air Cargo and Baron Aviation Services. Lynden Air Cargo is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Ameriflight and Air T, Inc.. Emerging players are Merlin Airmotive and Castle Aviation.
Does CSA Air have an API?
No public API is recorded for CSA Air.
What industry is CSA Air in?
CSA Air's product category is Air Cargo Feeder Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADAAAB, Express / Time-Definite Air Cargo Carriers, with a secondary code of THABACAN, On-Demand Scheduled Commuter (Part 135/Small Aircraft Scheduled). Its NAICS code is 481212 and its SIC code is 4522.