What Chartair does

Chartair Pty Ltd is a privately held Australian regional aviation operator founded in 1974 (originally as Leach Aero Services) and headquartered at Darwin Airport in the Northern Territory. The company operates a fleet of approximately 40 aircraft, primarily Cessna platforms ranging from single-engine pistons (210, 310, 402C) to twin-turbine Grand Caravans (208B) and Conquest 441s, across four bases in Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, and Cairns. It holds comprehensive CASA certifications (CASR Part 135 air transport, Part 141 training, Part 145 maintenance, Part 42 CAMO) and is BARS registered, giving it the regulatory standing required to serve government, corporate, and remote community clients.

The company's revenue is generated across seven principal streams: charter flights (commercial, FIFO for mining/resources, freight, medical, tourism, and private); scheduled Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) on routes such as Darwin-Katherine; the federally subsidized RASS Mail Plane service delivering passengers and freight to 200+ remote communities across NT, WA, and Far North Queensland; dedicated air freight (including dangerous goods and live animals at $7.20-$10.90 per kg); third-party aircraft maintenance as a Part 145 Approved Maintenance Organisation and North Australia dealer for S-TEC autopilots and Aspen avionics; aircraft leasing to operators needing short- or long-term coverage; and ancillary catering (lunch packs at $25). Distribution is sales-led via phone, email, and online quote forms, with enterprise account management for mining and government clients and an embedded third-party TFLite booking platform for scheduled services.

Chartair is a core operating subsidiary of the Aviation Logistics Group (ALG), alongside AirMed (Sydney-based aeromedical) and AirLink Airways (Dubbo-based regional NSW). Group fleet exceeds 70 aircraft across 8 bases with nearly 300 professionals. Under the current ownership of Mark Wardrop and Matthew Kline (since 2015), Chartair is positioned as ALG's Northern Australia franchise, with the 2024 RASS contract continuance and exploration of hydrogen-electric VTOL aircraft signaling forward-looking strategic intent.

Name

Chartair

Legal name

Chartair Pty Ltd

Website

https://chartair.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Chartair is a Northern Territory-based regional aviation operator (founded 1974) providing charter flights, scheduled services, government-subsidised RASS Mail Plane services, freight, aircraft maintenance, and leasing across NT, WA, and Far North Queensland with a fleet of ~40 aircraft from four bases, serving mining, government, healthcare, and remote Indigenous community clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Darwin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charter Flight Services: On-demand charter flights for commercial, FIFO, freight, medical, private, and tourism purposes. Revenue generated per flight based on aircraft type, distance, and services required.
2. Scheduled Passenger Services (RPT): Regular passenger transport services on fixed routes including Darwin-Katherine. Revenue per seat with online and phone booking options.
3. RASS (Mail Plane) Services: Government-subsidised passenger and freight services to remote communities under Federal Government Remote Air Services Subsidy scheme. Operating Regions 7, 8, and 9 across NT and WA.
4. Freight Transport: Cargo transport including mail, parcels, medical supplies, and general freight. Charged per kg with handling fees. Animal transportation available at flat rate.
5. Aircraft Maintenance Services: Third-party maintenance support for other operators and insurance companies. North Australia dealer for Genesys-Aerosystems S-TEC Autopilots, Aspen Avionics, and Arctic Air Coolers.
6. Aircraft Leasing: Short, medium, and long-term aircraft leasing to private individuals, companies, and other operators.
7. Catering (Lunch Packs): Pre-ordered lunch packs for Darwin departures at $25 per pack with gluten-free and vegetarian options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chartair is a Northern Territory-based general aviation operator providing charter flights, scheduled passenger transport (RPT), Remote Air Services Subsidy (RASS) mail plane services to remote communities, aircraft maintenance, leasing, freight transport, and tourism flights. The company operates a fleet of over 40 aircraft from bases in Darwin, Alice Springs, and Katherine, serving mining companies, government departments, healthcare providers, and remote Indigenous communities across NT, WA, and Far North Queensland.

Product overview

Chartair operates as an integrated aviation services provider offering a portfolio of interconnected air transport solutions. The core offering comprises Charter Flight Services (commercial, FIFO, freight, medical, tourism, and private charters) and Scheduled Flights/RPT services, supported by the RASS (Mail Plane) program delivering essential connectivity to 200+ remote communities. The fleet of over 40 aircraft (Cessna 210, 310, 402C, Grand Caravan 208B, and Conquest 441) enables diverse service delivery. Additional services including Aircraft Leasing, Maintenance (Part 145 Approved), Recovery, Freight Transport, and Tourism Charters extend the platform. The company is affiliated with Aviation Logistics Group, AirMed (aeromedical), and AirLink Airways, providing pathway to specialized services like long-distance medical transfers. All services operate from bases in Darwin (head office with maintenance), Alice Springs (maintenance), and Katherine, with the subsidiary AirMed handling NSW patient transfers from Sydney.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Mail Plane: Brand name for Chartair's Remote Air Services Subsidy (RASS) service, providing scheduled passenger and freight services to remote Indigenous communities and outback stations.

Products and services

• Charter Flight Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,400,000 km flown annually on Mail Plane services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aviation Logistics GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChartair is part of Aviation Logistics Group - one of Australia's largest general aviation operators with a fleet of more than 70 aircraft at 8 bases across the East Coast and Northern Territory. The group employs nearly 300 professionals and provides scheduled passenger, charter, freight, and aeromedical services.
• AirMedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralia's leading non-emergency patient transfer company based in Sydney with fleet of piston, turbine and jet aircraft. Major supplier to NSW Health and other health providers. Sister company to Chartair operating under Aviation Logistics Group.
• AirLink AirwaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDubbo-based airline providing scheduled and charter services to remote and regional NSW communities since 1974. Part of Aviation Logistics Group and growing into key Government and commercial service provider in Western NSW.
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)coreOthersChartair operates under CASR Part 135 as a CASR Part 42 Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO), Part 145 Approved Maintenance Organisation, and Part 141 Training and Checking Organisation. Subject to regular CASA audits.
• Flight Safety Foundation (BARS)coreOthersBasic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) registered aircraft operator. The BARS program created by Flight Safety Foundation provides standards for managing risk in using aircraft operators, particularly in remote environments. Supports mining, oil, gas and general industry sectors.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FlyPelican: Regional Australian airline operating scheduled and charter services in NSW and adjacent regions with comparable Cessna fleet mix and charter focus, serving similar FIFO and small-community markets.
• AirNorth: Regional airline originally part of the same lineage (separated from Chartair in 1994 after the AirNorth takeover), AirNorth operates scheduled and charter services across the Northern Territory and into Western Australia and Queensland, with comparable fleet types and remote-community service offerings.
• Skippers Aviation: Western Australia-based charter and FIFO operator serving mining and resources clients with comparable Cessna Caravan/Conquest-equivalent fleet mix, making it a close direct peer for FIFO charter work in adjacent remote-Australia geography.
• Sharp Airlines: Regional Australian operator providing scheduled and charter services to remote communities in Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania with similar turboprop fleet mix, comparable RPT and government-contract exposure, and analogous customer profile in regional Australia.
• Aviation Logistics Group (AirMed / AirLink Airways): Parent group of Chartair and operator of sister companies AirMed (aeromedical) and AirLink Airways (regional NSW); comparable in fleet size, government contracting, and remote-community service profile, and offers an integrated view of the group comparable to a standalone Chartair investment.

Broad incumbents

• Regional Express Holdings (Rex): Largest regional airline in Australia operating Saab 340 turboprops across a national network; competes broadly with Chartair on regional connectivity and government contracts but as a much larger incumbent with public-company discipline and broader route footprint.
• QantasLink: Regional subsidiary of Qantas operating Dash 8 and larger aircraft across Australia; provides comparable scheduled regional service and competes with Chartair on remote-area passenger contracts but at materially larger scale and with broader fleet.
• Cobham Aviation Services: Established Australian aero-medical and charter operator providing government and healthcare contract services nationally, with comparable CASA Part 145 and government-contract profile though at significantly larger scale and jet/turboprop fleet.

Emerging players

• HeliSpirit: Australian helicopter tourism and charter operator competing with Chartair in the scenic and tourism charter segment (Kakadu, Katherine, remote lodge access), with comparable customer use cases but rotorcraft delivery model.

Regional players

• Broome Aviation: Western Australia-based charter and scenic operator serving the Kimberley region with comparable Cessna Caravan fleet and tourism/scenic offerings, directly comparable to Chartair's WA and tourism charter activities though operating in different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Chartair
• Instagraminstagram.com/chartair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chartair

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Chartair