heston airlines

What heston airlines does

Heston Airlines, UAB is a privately held European charter and ACMI (Aircraft-Crew-Maintenance-Insurance) wet lease operator headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, founded in 2021. The company operates a homogeneous fleet of 16 Airbus A320 Family aircraft registered across Lithuanian (LY) and Maltese (9H) registries, positioning cost-efficient single-aisle capacity for airlines and tour operators needing short- or long-term wet lease, full charter, and special cargo services worldwide. Its core technology is the A320 platform itself, leveraging fly-by-wire controls, weight-saving composites, and configurable cabin layouts marketed as enhanced passenger comfort for short and medium-haul operations.

The business model is B2B service revenue from three streams: ACMI wet lease contracts (managed services with crew, maintenance, and insurance bundled), full charter programs (transactional fees for single flights or seasonal deployments with tailored onboard services), and special projects including 24/7 cargo and NATO/UN-style missions. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales plus a website service request portal, with named clients including Condor (two aircraft supporting summer operations) and the Lithuanian Basketball Federation. The company is part of Heston Aviation Group, which includes sister subsidiaries Heston MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) and Heston Aviation (leasing and trading), providing potential vertical integration benefits. CEO and Chairman Jonas Rinkauskas leads the company, which has recently expanded into Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Egypt stations and launched a self-service online check-in platform for passenger-facing charter flows.

Name

heston airlines

Legal name

Heston Airlines, UAB

Website

https://heston.aero

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Heston Airlines is a Lithuanian-based ACMI wet lease and charter operator running a fleet of 16 Airbus A320 aircraft, serving other airlines, tour operators, and special cargo clients worldwide under the Heston Aviation Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Charter and ACMI Wet Lease Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

ACMI / Wet-Lease Passenger Operators (THABADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter Airlines & ACMI / Wet-Lease Passenger Operators (TLAFAAAC), Group & ACMI Charter Airlines (Ad-hoc/Wet Lease) (TLAFABAC), ACMI / Dry-Lease Cargo Operators (TLADAAAD)

Keywords

• ACMI wet leasing
• Aircraft charter flights
• Aviation wet lease
• Charter programs
• Airline capacity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vilnius

HQ country

Lithuania

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wet Leasing (ACMI): Short and long-term ACMI (Aircraft-Crew-Maintenance-Insurance) wet/damp lease services providing aircraft with perfectly maintained aircraft, experienced crew, and full insurance to meet airline requirements.
2. Charter Flights: Full charter service including single flights and full season programs. Provides ad-hoc unscheduled flights and regular charter programs with customized services including WCI, extra legroom, and pre-ordered catering. Works closely with clients from start to finish.
3. Special Projects: Special charter services on 24/7 worldwide basis including cargo capabilities, tailored solutions similar to NATO or UN standard requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Heston Airlines provides ACMI (Aircraft-Crew-Maintenance-Insurance) wet/damp leasing, charter flights, and special project cargo services using a fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft. The company delivers short- and long-term aircraft capacity to other airlines, tour operators, and organizations requiring seasonal, ad-hoc, or specialized flight services on a worldwide basis. It operates as part of the Heston Aviation Group and maintains a fleet of 16 Airbus A320 aircraft.

Product overview

Heston Airlines operates as a European airline offering three core service lines: Wet Leasing (ACMI) for airlines needing short or long-term aircraft with crew and maintenance, Charter Flights for single or seasonal ad-hoc flights with customisable services, and Special Projects for cargo and freight operations. The airline operates Airbus A320 aircraft and provides online check-in as a passenger-facing service. All services are focused on B2B airline and tour operator clients rather than direct consumer retail.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wet Leasing (ACMI) ACMI (Aircraft-Crew-Maintenance-Insurance) wet/damp lease service providing short- and long-term Airbus A320 aircraft with perfectly maintained airframes, experienced crew, and full insurance coverage worldwide, aimed at airlines needing flexible capacity without fleet investment.
• Charter Flights Full charter service for single flights or full seasonal programs, including ad-hoc unscheduled flights and regular charter programs with customised onboard services, WCI, extra legroom, pre-ordered catering, and flexible departure/arrival times for tour operators and other clients.
• Special Projects Special charter services offered on a 24/7 worldwide basis, including cargo capabilities with the Airbus A320 and tailored solutions similar to NATO or UN standard requirements for organizations with freight volume or specialized mission needs.
• Online Check-In Self-service online check-in tool available 72 hours before departure and closing 3 hours prior, used by passengers on flights departing from Vilnius and Egypt stations.

Quantifiable outcome

• A320 considered the most comfortable aircraft worldwide for short to medium-haul routes

Named customers2 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Heston Aviation GroupcoreOthers · 30 June 2026Parent company and consolidated group of companies focusing on aviation assets leasing, trading, maintenance, repair, and overhaul. Heston Airlines is a member of this group.
• Heston MROcoreTechnology or IntegrationMaintenance, Repair and Overhaul company within Heston Aviation Group providing technical maintenance services for fleet aircraft.
• CondormajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTwo aircraft currently supporting Condor's summer operations with multiple destinations. Active operational partnership for seasonal capacity.
• FIBAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting Lithuania's Road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 through sponsorship and transportation services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Direct peers

• SmartLynx Airlines: Latvia-based ACMI and charter operator flying A320 family aircraft for airlines and tour operators across Europe. Closest direct competitor to Heston Airlines given similar Baltic base, single-aisle focus, and B2B ACMI/wet-lease model.
• Avion Express: Lithuania-headquartered narrowbody ACMI specialist operating A320 family aircraft for client airlines worldwide. Direct geographic and operational peer to Heston Airlines, sharing the same Vilnius/Lithuanian aviation cluster.
• GetJet Airlines: Lithuania-based ACMI and charter operator with A320 family fleet serving airlines and tour operators. Overlapping geographic base, fleet type, and service offering make it a near-identical competitor to Heston.
• Hi Fly: Portuguese ACMI/wet-lease specialist operating Airbus aircraft for airlines and governments on a worldwide basis. Directly comparable ACMI and charter business model to Heston Airlines, with broader widebody fleet.
• Marathon Airlines: Greece-based ACMI and charter operator flying A320 family aircraft for European tour operators and airlines. Comparable single-fleet-type narrowbody ACMI/charter model, with similar Mediterranean leisure-market exposure.
• Danish Air Transport: Danish ACMI, charter, and scheduled regional operator providing wet-lease capacity to other airlines. Direct peer in the European ACMI segment with similar B2B service offering to airlines and tour operators.
• Titan Airways: UK-based ACMI and charter operator providing wet-lease aircraft and crew to airlines, governments, and corporate clients. Comparable ACMI/wet-lease business model with similar ad-hoc and seasonal charter capability.

Broad incumbents

• AirBaltic: Largest carrier in the Baltic region operating a modern narrowbody fleet (A220, with A320 operations) on scheduled and charter services. Comparable in fleet philosophy (modern single-aisle) and regional base, but operates scheduled service rather than pure ACMI.
• Wizz Air: Major European low-cost carrier operating a large all-A320-family fleet with significant Central/Eastern European presence. Not an ACMI competitor but a key operator of the same fleet type and a potential ACMI customer for Heston.

Others

• Condor: German leisure airline and active customer/partner of Heston Airlines, sourcing ACMI capacity for summer operations. Included as a customer-side counterpart that demonstrates Heston's addressable market and channel of demand.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heston-airlines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 heston airlines