What Legend Airlines does

Legend Airlines SRL is a Romanian charter and ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) wet-lease airline headquartered in Bucharest, founded in 2020 and operating under Air Operator Certificate RO-077 issued by the Romanian Civil Aviation Authority. The company transitioned from initial general aviation operations to wide-body long-haul service with the 2022 acquisition of its first Airbus A340-300 (ex-Air Belgium), and now operates a fleet of three A340-300 aircraft (YR-LRC, YR-LRD, YR-LRE) configured with 265-324 seats in Business, Premium, and Economy classes, with a maximum range of 14,400 km. Its core technology is the A340-300 airframe itself — including its rapid-deployment capability (aircraft available in as little as three hours), four-engine long-haul profile, and 6.5 tons/hour fuel burn — together with EASA Part-CAMO and RCAA-compliant operational systems.

The company's revenue model rests on two streams: ACMI wet leases sold by the flight-hour to other airlines (with both classic minimum-guarantee hours and customized no-minimum-hours structures), and ad-hoc or charter-series flights sold on an all-inclusive fixed-fee basis to tour operators, corporates, sports teams, entertainment groups, and VIP clients. Distribution is direct B2B sales supplemented by partnerships with tour operators reselling charter capacity. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across airlines, tour operators, business groups, sports organizations, entertainment groups, and VIP clients, while customer concentration is anchored on a small number of named airline contracts (notably Neos Italy, which is allocated two of the three A340s, plus seasonal Hajj work for Spice Jet India and Garuda Indonesia and one-off VIP charters such as the Bahrain National Football Team to Brisbane).

Legend operates worldwide — across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and selectively North America — and has publicly indicated plans to broaden its fleet with A330, A321, or A320 aircraft and to pursue Canadian and US market entry. It is privately held, owned by Gâdea Radu Cristian per Romanian commercial register data, with no disclosed external investors or parent company, and led by CEO Ramin Youresh.

Name

Legend Airlines

Legal name

Legend Airlines SRL

Website

https://legendairlines.ro

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Legend Airlines is a Romanian ACMI and charter airline operating a three-aircraft Airbus A340-300 fleet, providing wet-lease capacity to airlines and all-inclusive charter flights to tour operators, corporates, sports teams, and VIP clients across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Charter Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (48121)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

ACMI / Wet-Lease Passenger Operators (THABADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ad Hoc Passenger Charter Operators (THABADAB), Sports Team & Event Charter Operators (THABADAE), ACMI / Wet-Lease Cargo Operators (THABAEAC)

Keywords

• ACMI wet lease
• Charter flight services
• Aircraft wet leasing
• Wide-body charter operations
• Long-haul passenger charter

Headquarters

HQ city

Bucharest

HQ country

Romania

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ACMI Wet Lease: Legend Airlines provides wet lease solutions (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) to other airlines. The client covers direct operating costs such as fuel, catering, airport fees, handling, and navigation fees directly to service providers. The flight is operated under the customer airline's flight numbers. Both classic ACMI (minimum guaranteed hours) and customized ACMI (no minimum hours) are available. ACMI solutions are offered for both passenger and cargo flights.
2. Charter Flights: Legend Airlines offers ad-hoc full-charter flights and charter series under ACMI terms to tour operators, companies, and individuals. Operations are available for passengers and cargo flights on an 'all-inclusive' basis for a fixed fee. Special charter operations are performed for dedicated events such as sports, music, and corporate events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Legend Airlines operates ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) wet lease solutions and customized charter flights for passenger and cargo transport using a fleet of three Airbus A340-300 wide-body aircraft with 14,400 km long-haul capability. ACMI services are sold to other airlines globally on both classic (minimum guaranteed hours) and customized (no minimum hours) terms, deployable within three hours. Charter flights are sold on an all-inclusive fixed-fee basis to tour operators, corporates, sports teams, entertainment groups, and VIP clients worldwide.

Product overview

Legend Airlines operates as a charter and ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) airline offering two core services: Charter Flights (ad-hoc and series charters for passengers and cargo) and ACMI Lease (wet lease solutions with crew and maintenance included). The company operates a fleet of Airbus A340-300 wide-body aircraft capable of long-haul operations up to 14,400 km, with seating configurations ranging from 265 to 324 passengers across Business, Premium, and Economy classes. Additional offerings include Helicopter Charters for premium short-range travel. The airline serves diverse customer segments including airlines, tour operators, business groups, sports teams, entertainment groups, and VIP delegations across Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACMI Wet Lease

Quantifiable outcome

• Aircraft deployment capability as fast as 3 hours
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Neos ItalycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2024Legend Airlines started a new ACMI operation with Neos Italy in 2024, allocating two Airbus A340 aircraft to support Neos Italy's seasonal peak flights and AOG (aircraft on ground) situations. Operations are primarily in Europe including routes Milano MXP to Rodos, Heraklion, and Ibiza, with long-haul extensions to Amritsar, India. The flights operate under Neos Italy's flight numbers.
• Spice Jet IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegend Airlines completed successful Hajj (pilgrimage) charter operations with Spice Jet India, transporting pilgrims as part of the Hajj season.
• Garuda IndonesiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegend Airlines completed successful Hajj (pilgrimage) charter operations with Garuda Indonesia, transporting pilgrims as part of the Hajj season.
• Air BelgiumminorOthersLegend Airlines acquired its first two A340-300 aircraft (YR-LRC, msn 844 and msn 921) from Air Belgium. Both aircraft were previously operated by Air Belgium before being registered in Romania.
• Romanian Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA/AACR)coreOthersLegend Airlines operates under Air Operator Certificate (AOC) RO-077 issued by the Romanian Civil Aviation Authority. The AOC was obtained in September 2021. The regulatory certification enables legal airline operations across applicable jurisdictions including EASA compliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Privilege Style: Privilege Style is a Spanish ACMI and VIP charter operator specializing in long-haul widebody wet-lease services using Boeing 777 and 767 aircraft. It overlaps with Legend in delivering long-haul ACMI/private charter capacity to airlines and premium clients.
• Hi Fly: Hi Fly is one of the largest independent ACMI/wet-lease specialists in Europe, operating a fleet of Airbus A320s, A330s, A340s, and A350s for airlines worldwide. It is the closest direct competitor to Legend Airlines in long-haul wet-lease and charter services.
• Wamos Air: Wamos Air is a Spanish ACMI and charter operator flying A330 and B747 aircraft for European airlines and tour operators. Its long-haul wet-lease positioning and tour-operator charter business closely mirror Legend Airlines' core offering.
• Evelop Airlines (Iberojet): Evelop, rebranded as Iberojet, is a Spanish long-haul charter and leisure airline operating A350 and A330 aircraft for tour operators and corporate clients. Its long-haul charter series and tour-operator customer base overlaps with Legend Airlines' charter business.
• SmartLynx Airlines: SmartLynx is a Latvia-based ACMI specialist operating A320, A321, and A330 aircraft for airlines globally. Its diversified narrowbody and widebody wet-lease offering and European base directly overlap with Legend Airlines' ACMI service.
• Air Alsie: Air Alsie is a Denmark-based ACMI/charter operator with experience providing European-registered aircraft for ad-hoc and contract charter services. Its niche European charter/ACMI focus is comparable to Legend's customized ACMI offering.
• Marathon Airlines: Marathon Airlines is a Greek-based ACMI/wet-lease operator using A320 and A321 aircraft for European and African customers. It is a comparable European ACMI specialist serving similar airline customers with wet-lease capacity.
• Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas: Plus Ultra is a Spanish long-haul airline that combines scheduled long-haul services with charter and ACMI operations using A340 aircraft. Its A340 fleet and long-haul charter focus make it a direct comparable to Legend Airlines.
• Avion Express: Avion Express is a Lithuania-based ACMI operator providing narrowbody wet-lease services to airlines across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It is a comparable European ACMI specialist with similar customer base and operating model.
• Airhub Airlines: Airhub Airlines is a Malta-based ACMI operator providing narrowbody wet-lease solutions to airlines across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Its European base and ACMI focus position it as a comparable peer in the wet-lease services market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/legendair_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/legend-airlines-ro

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Legend Airlines