Ascend Airways, UK-based ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance), has received its fifth-Boeing 737-8 plane as a maximum. Part of the AVIA Solutions group, the largest ACMI provider in the world, the airline also obtained a Canadian foreign airport certificate (FAOC), which represents another milestone in its rapid expansion.
The plane, registered as G-Ulit, obtained a validity certificate on June 3, 2025 and will be published immediately on a long-term wet lease contract. This fourth addition is Boeing 737-8 as a maximum in the Ascend Airways fleet.
“I would like to thank the entire team in Ascend Airways for their hard work and dedication to adding three aircraft over the past two months,” says Alastair Willson, CEO of Ascend Airways. “Our growing fleet perfectly puts us to meet the increasing demand for reliable ACMI services in the UK and other markets with the latest generation of aircraft.”
This was a year of great growth for Ascend Airways, which started in 2025 with only two planes and now runs five. The airline plans to add more Boeing 737-8 average in the coming months, with the aim of operating a total of eight aircraft by the end of the year.
Boeing 737-8 Max is in line with the Ascend Airways strategy of providing the latest technologies and most fuel-saving aircraft to customers. MAX 8 reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 20 % and has 40 % lower noise imprint compared to the plane of the previous generation, allowing customers to reduce their environmental impact when adding capacity.
In addition to expanding the fleet, the Canadian Airways FAOC, which allows airlines to start the ACMI operations in Canada. Approval comes in time for the peak season for travel in Canada during the IATA winter season, which is currently enjoying the B737-8 MAX. Ascend Airways is also returning in the final stages to acquire the FAA 129 approvals that will allow the airline to operate ACMI and EHarter flights to the United States as well as in the process of obtaining its approvals on iOSA.
Post Ascend Aircraft added a fifth plane to an increased fleet, and the Canadian AOC first appeared in the week of air cargo.
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