Avia Solutions Group is a provider of aviation capacity solutions for passenger and cargo airlines worldwide.
Headquartered in
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
(
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
), the group manages over 100 offices and production facilities globally and employs a majority of its employees in Europe.
In 2022, Avia Solutions Group manages a fleet of 163 aircraft among the group companies.
History
Prehistory
In 2005, the history of Avia Solutions Group began when Lithuanian Airlines, the national airlines of
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, was privatized. LAL investment management acquired 100% of the airline shares for 7.53 million Euro. The airline was re-branded and several companies were spun – out, including
Baltic Ground Services
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
(ground handling),
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
(aviation maintenance, repair, and operations), and Bilietų Pardavimo Centras (travel agency). In 2005,
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
was founded. The company opened its first hangar at
Vilnius International Airport
Vilnius Airport ( lt, Vilniaus oro uostas) is the international airport of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is located south of the city. It is the largest of the three commercial airports in Lithuania by passenger traffic. With one runway ...
. In November 2006, Baltic Aviation Academy (now known as
BAA Training) was founded. The company trains FTO (Flight Training Organization) and TRTO (Type Rating Training Organization) specialists. In 2007,
JetMS was founded under the name FL Technics Jets. In 2007, Aviation Asset Management was founded (now known as
AviaAM Leasing). In 2008, a charter airline called
Small Planet Airlines
Small Planet Airlines was a Lithuanian leisure airline based at Vilnius Airport with further bases throughout Europe. It was the subsidiary of the Small Planet Group which also owned sister companies in Cambodia, Germany, Italy, and Poland, all ...
was founded.
Foundation
The history of Avia Solutions Group began in 2005 when Lithuanian Airlines, the national airlines of Lithuania, was privatized. LAL investicijų valdymas acquired 100% of the airline shares for 7.53 million Euro. The airline was re-branded as
FlyLAL
flyLAL (also known as Lithuanian Airlines and LAL) was the national airline of Lithuania, based in Vilnius. It operated domestic and international scheduled services from its main base at Vilnius International Airport.Flight International 3 Apri ...
and several companies were spun – out, including
Baltic Ground Services
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
(ground handling),
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
(aviation maintenance, repair, and operations), and Bilietų Pardavimo Centras (travel agency). In 2008
FlyLAL
flyLAL (also known as Lithuanian Airlines and LAL) was the national airline of Lithuania, based in Vilnius. It operated domestic and international scheduled services from its main base at Vilnius International Airport.Flight International 3 Apri ...
filed a lawsuit against Latvian carrier
airBaltic
airBaltic, legally incorporated as AS Air Baltic Corporation, is the flag carrier of Latvia, with its head office on the grounds of Riga International Airport in Mārupe municipality near Riga. Its main hub is Riga, and it operates bases in T ...
, accusing airline of price
dumping. In 2009
FlyLAL
flyLAL (also known as Lithuanian Airlines and LAL) was the national airline of Lithuania, based in Vilnius. It operated domestic and international scheduled services from its main base at Vilnius International Airport.Flight International 3 Apri ...
was forced to declare bankruptcy with around 29 million euros in debts after the government refused to bail the company out and a potential buyout deal fell through. In 2014 Court of Justice of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
allowed to arrest the property of airBaltic and Riga International Airport in order to ensure main proceedings, seeking legal redress for damage resulting from alleged infringements of European Union competition law in the
FlyLAL
flyLAL (also known as Lithuanian Airlines and LAL) was the national airline of Lithuania, based in Vilnius. It operated domestic and international scheduled services from its main base at Vilnius International Airport.Flight International 3 Apri ...
lawsuit against
airBaltic
airBaltic, legally incorporated as AS Air Baltic Corporation, is the flag carrier of Latvia, with its head office on the grounds of Riga International Airport in Mārupe municipality near Riga. Its main hub is Riga, and it operates bases in T ...
for price dumping.
Expansion
In the beginning, Avia Solutions Group covered three aviation business areas, including ground handling (
Baltic Ground Services
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
), aircraft maintenance (
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
) and travel services (Bilietu Pardavimo Centras).
In December 2005 Bilietų Pardavimo Centras became a member of IATA and in November 2006 changed its name into
BPC Travel
BPC may refer to:
*Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, a government tourism organization of Bangladesh
*''Bâtiment de projection et de commandement'' (projection and command ship), the ''Mistral'' class of amphibious assault ships
*Battery Park City ...
(stands for Best Price for Consumers Travel) to better reflect its business philosophy. BPC Travel left Avia Solutions Group in 2010.
In July 2006,
Baltic Ground Services
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
was sold to UAB Finansų spektro investicija. The company was bought back by Avia Solutions Group from investment company Invalda in November 2008. The same year
Baltic Ground Services
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
became first company in Europe and tenth in world to receive
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) certificate. In January 2015,
Baltic Ground Services
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
joined
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
's Ground Handling Council (IGHC).
In November 2006,
Baltic Aviation Academy
BAA Training (the former Baltic Aviation Academy and a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group) is an aviation training centre, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania and operating globally. Certified as an Approved Training Organization (ATO), BAA Traini ...
(originally flyLAL Training) was established based on the training center of FlyLAL. Company provides FTO (Flight Training Organization) and TRTO (Type Rating Training Organization) type rating for 10+ aircraft types and operates full flight simulators for
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a series of Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus.
The A320 was launched in March 1984, Maiden flight, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air F ...
and other aircraft.
In 2007, the group established Aviation Asset Management (now
AviaAM Leasing). In June 2008, it signed its first third-party lease contract with Kazakh Scat Air. AviaAM leasing left the group in 2010. In 2013 AviaAM Leasing launched its IPO and now is listed on WSE.
In 2008 Avia Solutions Group separated its charter flights activities from FlyLAL and established a charter airline. In July 2010, it underwent a major re-branding and became Small Planet Airlines. In March, 2013 Avia Solutions Group sold 99.5 per cent of
Small Planet Airlines
Small Planet Airlines was a Lithuanian leisure airline based at Vilnius Airport with further bases throughout Europe. It was the subsidiary of the Small Planet Group which also owned sister companies in Cambodia, Germany, Italy, and Poland, all ...
UAB (Lithuania) and Small Planet Airlines Sp. z.o.o. (Poland) to an investment group led by the carrier's management team.
In 2010 FL Technics achieved Boeing 737 NG base maintenance certificate. In October 2011 Boeing selected FL Technics as its GoldCare partner. In 2014 FL Technics invested $4 million in new high-tech MRO hangar in Kaunas. In 2014 company launched Online Training™, a remote
EASA
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitori ...
Part-147-compliant training program, based on visually enhanced materials available online.
In 2010 Avia Solutions Group established an IT company, which developed its own platform to trade aircraft inventory and maintenance services. In 2014 Locatory.com launched Amber A.I., artificial intelligence tool that converts e-mail parts inquiries into searches.
In 2011 Avia Solutions Group launched AviationCV.com, a global provider of aviation jobs specialists resourcing solutions for airlines, MRO providers and other industry companies.
In 2011 Avia Solutions Group was listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE).
In 2011 Groups’ MRO company FL Technics acquired 100% of UK based Line maintenance provider Storm Aviation.
In 2013 Avia Solutions Group acquired Helisota, an international provider of MRO services for
rotorcraft
A rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotary wings or rotor blades, which generate lift by rotating around a vertical mast. Several rotor blades mounted on a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The Internati ...
aviation that provides services for Mi and
Robinson Robinson may refer to:
People and names
* Robinson (name)
Fictional characters
* Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719
Geography
* Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960 ...
aircraft.
In 2013 Avia Solutions Group launched its own private jet charter carrier KlasJet. The carrier is based in Vilnius, Lithuania and operates its flights in Europe, CIS and other regions.
In 2014 BAA Training launched an aviation training IT software developer MOMook.
In 2015 Avia Solutions Group launched a Lithuanian tour operator Kidy Tour, as well as a UAV-based infrastructure inspections provider Laserpas. The company sold its interest to the management of Laserpas in August 2018.
In 2016, Avia Solutions Group launched a competence development center Emblick, acquired Estonian tour operator GoAdventure EE. The Group's subsidiary in Indonesia also opened a new MRO center in Jakarta.
In 2018, daughter company of Avia Solutions Group,
BAA Training has announced the establishment of a new company in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
—BAA Training Vietnam.
In August, 2018, FL Technics Indonesia received Part-145 certificate from the Federal Aviation Authority.
In October, 2018, FL Technics established a joint venture in Harbin (PR of China) with Aircraft Recycling International Limited to provide MRO services.
In October, 2018, BAA Training installed 2 new full flight simulators in Vilnius (Lithuania) and opened a training base in Lleida-Alguaire International Airport (Spain). BAA Training signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Company (HNCA) to establish Joint Venture aviation training company in Henan, China
In October 2018, Baltic Ground Services established a new railway freight company – BGS Rail in Ukraine.
On November 20, 2018, Avia Solutions Group was delisted from the
Warsaw Stock Exchange
The Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), pl, Giełda Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie, is a stock exchange in Warsaw, Poland. It has a market capitalization of PLN 1.05 trillion (EUR 232 billion; as of December 23, 2020).
The WSE is a member of th ...
.
In December 2018, Baltic Ground Services (BGS) announced the acquisition of a ground handling company in Germany.
In October 2019, Avia Solutions Group acquired British air charter specialist Chapman Freeborn.
On January 24, 2020, Avia Solutions Group signed an agreement with BB Holding EHF for the full acquisition of the Icelandic Air Freight services provider
Bluebird Nordic.
In February, 2020
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
acquired Italian line maintenance services provider Flash Line Maintenance S.r.l.
On February 14, 2020, Avia Solutions Group signed an agreement to acquire Scandinavian ground handling company – Aviator.
In April 2020, Avia Solutions Group joined The American Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania.
On June 18, 2020, Chapman Freeborn acquired Arcus Air Logistics.
In July 2020, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group
Jet Maintenance Solutions
JETMS is a Lithuanian aviation maintenance and repair company. JETMS is considered as one of the leading players in the Maintenance, repair and operations, MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) market for narrow-body aircraft.
Overview
The c ...
established JetMS Regional.
In November 2020, tour operator Kidy Tour was renamed to Tiketa Tour. In December 2021, the company changed its name back to Kidy Tour.
In December 2020, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
acquired Canadian MRO company Wright International.
In February 2021, Avia Solutions Group's subsidiary BAA Training Spain began its operations.
In March 2021, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group
Jet Maintenance Solutions
JETMS is a Lithuanian aviation maintenance and repair company. JETMS is considered as one of the leading players in the Maintenance, repair and operations, MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) market for narrow-body aircraft.
Overview
The c ...
specializing in private and business aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul acquired London based RAS Group (now JETMS Completions) consisting of Ras Completions Limited and RAS Interiors Limited.
In April 2021, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
launched a full-scale service FL Technics Logistics Solutions.
In May 2021,
BAA Training established an MRO organisation Avia Repair Co at Lleida-Alguaire International Airport in Spain.
In August 2021,
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
' subsidiary Storm Aviation acquired Manchester-based Chevron Technical Services.
In September 2021, Avia Solutions Group announced an entry into a strategic partnership with Certares Management LLC through a 300 million euro investment.
In October 2021, Avia Solutions Group acquired Biggin Hill Hangar Company Limited, the owner of Hangar 510, a Fixed Base Operations (
FBO) and Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) centre of operations at
London Biggin Hill Airport
London Biggin Hill Airport is an operational general aviation airport at Biggin Hill in the London Borough of Bromley, located south-southeast of Central London. The airport was formerly a Royal Air Force station RAF Biggin Hill, and a sma ...
.
In Dec 2021, Avia Solutions Group announced the launch of 'Digital Aero Technologies', a new business unit uniting digital and technology-focused companies working in aviation.
In April 2022, Avia Solutions Group subsidiary
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
acquired a Hanover-Based facility for aircraft wheels and brakes services.
In May 2022, Avia Solutions Group subsidiary Chapman Freeborn OBC opened a new office in Dubai.
In May 2022, Avia Solutions Group entered an agreement with JETEX to operate a
FBO at Hangar 510 at Biggin Hill Airport (EGKB/BQH).
In June 2022, Avia Solutions Group opened the aviation innovation valley 'AeroCity Tech Valley' in Vilnius, Lithuania.
In August 2022, The Group's subsidiary Chapman Freeborn opened a new office in New York.
In August 2022, through its subsidiary BBN Cargo Airlines, Avia Solutions Group established a new cargo airlines BBN Airlines Indonesia based in Jakarta.
In Dec 2022, Avia Solutions Group adds new aircraft type Boeing 737 BBJ2 to its fleet via KlasJet, the subsidiary providing business aviation and ACMI services.
Awards
In 2011 Avia Solutions Group was recognized as one of the best debutants on WSE.
In 2012 Linas Dovydenas, CEO at Avia Solutions Group was awarded as the CEO of the year by the readers of business news website and newspaper “Verslo Zinios”.
In 2012 Gediminas Ziemelis, Chairman of Avia Solutions Group, was selected amongst the top 40 most talented young leaders in the aviation industry by
Aviation Week & Space Technology
''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', often abbreviated ''Aviation Week'' or ''AW&ST'', is the flagship magazine of the Aviation Week Network. The weekly magazine is available in print and online, reporting on the aerospace, defense and aviati ...
.
In 2014 Gediminas Ziemelis, the chairman of the board of Avia Solutions Group, Anatolij Legenzov, CEO of Helisota have been included in the Aviation Weeks' Top 40 young leaders under 40 list. Gediminas Ziemelis became only person to be included two times in a row with his first repeat appearance in 2012.
In June 2016, Avia Solutions Group received a National Public Champion award and was named amongst 10 best European businesses in the RSM Entrepreneur of the Year category at the European Business Awards.
Avia Solutions Group was named Exporter of the year for 2018 by the Lithuanian Industrialist Confederation.
Corporate governance
Board
The management board currently has 6 members.
Gediminas Ziemelis, chairman of the board, and 5 members – Jonas Janukenas, chief executive officer at Avia Solutions Group, Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO of FL Technics, Linas Dovydenas, Chief Commercial Officer of Avia Solutions Group, Vygaudas Usackas and Tom Klein, Member of the Board at Avia Solutions Group.
Shareholders
As of Nov 2022, the Group's ordinary shares are distributed in the following proportions.
Convertible preferred Shares:
Structure
Current companies
Avia Solutions Group has offices in Lithuania, Cyprus, Ireland, UAE, the US, the UK, Serbia, Estonia, Thailand and Indonesia, China. As of 2022, Avia Solutions Group controls the following companies:
*
FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has Base Maintenance facilities in Lithuania, Indonesia and China and provides Line Maintenance supp ...
, FL Technics Indonesia, FL ARI, Flash Line Maintenance, Storm Aviation Ltd, Enginestands.com,
JetMS, Helisota, FL Technics Engine Services, Wright International, JETMS Holdings, Chevron Technical Services – providers of maintenance and repair of commercial and business aviation airplanes, as well as helicopters;
*
BAA Training, BAA Training Spain, BAA Training Vietnam, BAA Training China, BGS Training, FL Technics Online Training, AviationCV – aviation training and recruitment providers;
*Avia Solutions Group Consulting – aviation consulting services;
*
AviaAM Leasing, AviaAM Leasing China ''–'' aircraft leasing and trading service providers;
*Chapman Freeborn, Intradco Global, Arcus Air Logistic, Arcus OBC, Skyllence – charter broker services providers;
*Chapman Freeborn OBC, Arcus Air Logistic, Arcus OBC – time critical logistics providers;
*
Avion Express
Avion Express is a Lithuanian Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance, ACMI and aircraft lease, aircraft leasing operator headquartered in Vilnius. The company is a part of Avia Solutions Group, a global aerospace business group.
History
Avion ...
,
SmartLynx Airlines
SmartLynx Airlines Limited, previously ''LatCharter'', is a Latvian charter airline based in Mārupe,[Ab ...]
''–'' ACMI lease service providers;
* BGS, Aviator – ground handling and fueling provider;
*BGS Rail – railway freight transport;
*Chapman Freeborn ''–'' flight ops and dispatcher services providers;
*Busnex ''–'' public transportation solutions provider;
* Digital Aero Technologies, Aeroclass, Locatory.com, Sensus Aero, MOMook, Nordic Dino, FL Technics Online Training, AeroTime Hub, Air Convention ''Digital Week'', Enginestands.com, EVMOTORS.EU - Online platforms, e-learning, marketplaces .
* KlasJet – business aviation charter air carrier and business jet manager;
* AeroTime Hub, AIR Convention, Seven Live – Aviation Media and Events;
*
Magma Aviation
Magma Aviation is a European cargo handler specialising in charter and regular cargo services. Magma Aviation runs regular B747-400F services between cargo hubs in Europe to West and South Africa, as well as to North America. Magma Aviation oper ...
, BBN Cargo Airlines Holdings,
BBN Airlines Nordic, BBN Airlines Indonesia,
SmartLynx, Arcus Air Logistic, Arcus OBC – airfreight service providers;
* Loop Holding – hospitality holding company and hotel operator.
Previous companies
Companies that were part of Avia Solutions Group:
* FlyLaL – national airline of Lithuania (bankrupt)
* BPC Travel – travel agency (spun out)
* UAB Passenger Terminal – construction company to build a new passenger terminal at Vilnius Airport (abandoned)
[Apie UAB „Passenger Terminal“]
/ref>
* Small Planet Airlines – charter airline (sold)
* Laserpas – provider of aerial infrastructure inspections by UAVs (sold)
*BGS Poland - ground handling services provider (sold)
References
{{reflist
Transport companies of Lithuania
Airline holding companies
Companies based in Vilnius
Transport companies established in 2005
Companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange
Lithuanian companies established in 2005