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ACMI vs Dry Lease: Which Is Right for Your Airline?

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ACMIhub Editorial
March 21, 2026 2 min read 1,151 views
ACMI and dry lease are the two most common forms of aircraft leasing — but they serve very different needs. This guide breaks down cost structures, risk allocation, regulatory requirements and typical durations to help you choose the right structure.

When an airline needs to add capacity, the two most common routes are ACMI (wet lease) and dry lease. On the surface, both get you an aircraft. In practice, they are fundamentally different commercial and operational arrangements — with different risk profiles, cost structures, regulatory implications and optimal use cases.

What Is ACMI?

ACMI stands for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance. When you take an aircraft on ACMI, the lessor provides all four elements. You pay a rate per block hour flown — typically quoted in USD per block hour ($/bh).

Typical ACMI block hour rates by aircraft type (2026 market):

  • Narrowbody (A320/B737 family): $2,800–$4,500 per block hour
  • Regional jet (E175/CRJ-900): $1,600–$2,600 per block hour
  • Widebody (A330/B767): $6,000–$9,000 per block hour
  • Large widebody (B777/A350): $9,500–$13,000 per block hour
  • Freighter (B737F/B747F): $3,500–$14,000 per block hour

What Is Dry Lease?

In a dry lease, you receive only the aircraft — operated under your own AOC. You supply crew, maintenance and insurance. Dry leases are quoted as a fixed monthly rate regardless of utilization.

Typical dry lease monthly rates (2026):

  • Narrowbody (A320neo/B737 MAX): $340,000–$440,000 per month
  • Regional jet (E190-E2/CRJ-900): $190,000–$280,000 per month
  • Widebody (A330-200): $550,000–$720,000 per month
  • Long-haul widebody (B787-9): $900,000–$1,200,000 per month

When to Choose ACMI

ACMI is right when you need capacity within days, the need is temporary or seasonal, you lack type ratings or CAMO capacity on the type, you face an AOG situation, or you prefer variable over fixed cost.

When to Choose Dry Lease

Dry lease is right when you have a long-term predictable need, utilization will exceed 350 block hours per month, you have crew type ratings and CAMO capacity, and you want full operational control.

Use the ACMIhub Lease Calculator

Use the ACMIhub Lease Calculator to run a cost comparison for your specific route and utilization profile.

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