Slovakian ACMI carrier AirExplore shuts down after 16 years of operations
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Slovakian ACMI and charter operator AirExplore has ceased operations after 16 years, becoming the latest airline within Avia Solutions Group’s portfolio to disappear as the aviation services giant continues to restructure its international airline operations.
The carrier officially stopped flying on 10 November and has submitted a request to surrender its Air Operator Certificate (AOC), bringing an end to a business that developed from a small Slovakian operator into an internationally recognised provider of aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) services.
AirExplore ceases operations and grounds fleet
Founded in 2008, AirExplore began ACMI operations in 2010 with a Boeing 737-400 before expanding its fleet with Boeing 737-800s. It subsequently established partnerships with major European airlines and expanded into cargo operations, including the use of converted Boeing 737 freighters.
Avia Solutions Group acquired AirExplore in June 2023, adding another established European operator to its growing portfolio of ACMI businesses.
The shutdown comes despite efforts earlier this year to integrate AirExplore’s management and back-office functions with fellow group subsidiary KlasJet.
In February 2026, Avia Solutions Group announced that the two airlines would operate under a shared management structure, with AirExplore retaining its identity and focusing on ACMI operations while KlasJet continued concentrating on VIP and private charter services.
At the time of its grounding, Planespotters.net reported that AirExplore operated an all-Boeing fleet comprising three Boeing 737-800s, having gradually wound down the remainder of its fleet throughout 2026 following the integration with KlasJet.
These aircraft are now in storage awaiting disposal.
A growing list of airline closures
AirExplore is not the first Avia Solutions Group airline to cease operations since 2023. Its closure follows several significant setbacks across the group’s international airline portfolio.
The Icelandic cargo operator Bluebird Nordic was the first major casualty. Acquired by Avia Solutions Group in 2020, the airline ceased operations on 30 April 2024 after struggling with excess capacity and weakening demand in the air freight market.
It subsequently surrendered its AOC and returned aircraft to lessors.
The group’s most high-profile collapse came in November 2025, when SmartLynx Airlines Latvia ceased commercial operations. The Latvian ACMI operator had been sold by Avia Solutions Group to Dutch investment vehicle Stichting Break Point Distressed Assets Management in October 2025, shortly before its demise.
Consequently, although its closure forms part of the group’s recent history, SmartLynx was no longer owned by Avia Solutions Group when it stopped flying. With the demise pf SmartLynx in Europe, SmartLynx Australia rebranded back to its original name of Skytrans Australia in mid 2025.
Lastly, Ascend Airways, the UK-based operator which was acquired through the purchase of Synergy Aviation in July 2023. Having commenced commercial operations in April 2024, the airline announced on 28 April 2026 that it would surrender its UK AOC and cease flying.
Ascend cited rising fuel costs, reduced aircraft availability and reliability problems affecting its CFM LEAP-1B engines.
It also highlighted the disadvantages of operating under a UK AOC, including higher costs and restrictions on reciprocal wet-leasing arrangements with European Union operators. Its six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft were subsequently earmarked for return to lessors.
Together, these closures demonstrate the challenges facing the group’s airline businesses, particularly in the competitive and capital-intensive ACMI market.
What happens to the ASG Boeing 737 MAX order?
The latest developments also raise questions about Avia Solutions Group’s ambitious Boeing fleet expansion plans.
In November 2024, the group announced its first direct order with Boeing, comprising 40 firm Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, alongside purchase rights for another 40.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2030. The agreement was announced as part of a strategy to expand capacity and meet growing demand from airlines seeking seasonal ACMI services.
The order was placed at group level rather than specifically for AirExplore or any individual subsidiary. Boeing’s announcement stated that the aircraft would enhance the fleets of Avia Solutions Group’s airlines, without identifying individual operators or allocating specific delivery numbers.
The closure of AirExplore, SmartLynx, SmartLynx Australia, and Ascend Airways therefore does not automatically mean the Boeing order will be cancelled.
However, the disappearance of several operating platforms raises questions about which remaining subsidiaries will ultimately receive the aircraft and how the group intends to deploy them.
With Avion Express, KlasJet and its international BBN Airlines operations continuing to provide ACMI and charter capacity, Avia Solutions Group still has established businesses through which it can pursue its expansion strategy.
In the meantime, the 737 MAX order remains a group-level commitment, with deliveries still several years away. Whether the group maintains its original expansion ambitions following this latest airline closure remains to be seen.
