In aviation, a 'wet lease' involves renting an aircraft complete with crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI). A 'dry lease' is the rental of the aircraft alone, without crew or insurance.
What Is a Wet Lease vs. Dry Lease?
A wet lease is an arrangement where one airline provides another with an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance — commonly abbreviated as ACMI. A dry lease is the rental of the aircraft alone, with the leasing airline supplying its own crew, insurance, and maintenance. The distinction determines who operates the flight and whose air operator certificate (AOC) applies. Airlines use wet leases to add capacity quickly for seasonal demand, route launches, or aircraft shortages, and use dry leases for longer-term fleet expansion. Regulatory bodies like the FAA and EASA treat the two differently, since wet-leased flights operate under the lessor's certificate and safety oversight rather than the lessee's.
How It Works
Under a wet lease, the lessor retains operational control, crew employment, and insurance liability, while the lessee markets the flight under its own brand and flight number — a practice known as a codeshare-style wet lease. Wet leases typically run short-term, from a few weeks to two years, and are common for ACMI providers like charter and cargo operators. Dry leases run longer, often 5 to 12 years, and require the lessee to hold its own AOC, hire crew, arrange insurance, and repaint the aircraft in its livery. EASA limits wet-lease-in arrangements to seven months per year for EU carriers absent regulatory exemption.
Where to Find It
Wet leases are standard in the cargo, charter, and hajj/umrah pilgrimage flight sectors, where demand spikes require rapid capacity without long-term commitment. Airlines facing aircraft groundings, engine recalls, or unexpected route expansion frequently wet-lease aircraft from specialist ACMI operators to maintain schedules. Dry leases dominate mainline fleet growth, as airlines lease aircraft from leasing companies for years at a time while operating them under their own certificate, crew, and brand — the standard model for most commercial narrow-body and wide-body fleet additions worldwide.
Traveler Tip
If your flight number and operating carrier don't match on your ticket, check the fine print — you may be on a wet-leased aircraft with a different crew and livery than expected. This is common on charter and seasonal routes. CEOFLIGHTS specialists can help find discounted fares — call (888) 851-6897.
