Omni Air International

Omni Air International, LLC is a United States charter airline headquartered in Hangar 19 on the grounds of Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States.^[2] It specializes in passenger charter flights and Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) wet leasing.^[3] Omni Air International is a member of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet as a long-range international carrier.^[4] The airline is certified under FAA Part 121 and holds IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registration.

Omni Air International was established in 1993 and began operations with a single Boeing 727. The airline initially focused on domestic and international passenger charters and grew its operations with military and government contracts, including service as part of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet.

In 2018, Omni Air was acquired by Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), expanding ATSG’s reach in the passenger ACMI sector.

As of 2025, Omni Air International operates the following aircraft:

Omni Air International primarily provides charter and ACMI services for private sector clients, governments, and the U.S. Department of Defense. It conducts worldwide operations, including military troop transport and government contract flights.

Omni Air International has operated deportation flights under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A 2019 report by Quartz stated that the airline was the sole provider willing to conduct certain deportation missions deemed "high-risk," and raised concerns about elevated costs for such services.^[5]

• List of airlines of the United States
• Air Transport Services Group
• Civil Reserve Air Fleet

• Official website

The airline was established under the name Omni Air Express and started operations in March 1993 with a Boeing 727 freighter aircraft. In 1993, Omni started its Part 121 air carrier operations with Boeing 727F equipment in the narrow-body cargo market. Customers include integrated shipping companies such as BAX Global, DHL, Emery Worldwide, and UPS.^[1]

In 1997, the company changed its name to Omni Air International and launched passenger operations with DC-10s (including N270AX, the last DC-10 ever built).

In 1998, the company sold its Boeing 727F fleet to focus exclusively on its growing passenger business. From 1998 to 2000, the company acquired three second-hand long-range McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s and began providing international charter service to wholesale companies and cruise lines as well as wet lease Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) for other airlines and the US Department of Defense.

In April 2003, the Boeing 757-200 passenger aircraft was added to its fleet. The 757-200 fleet was approved for extended range over water operations (ETOPS). Boeing 757s were flown on vacation routes between Las Vegas (LAS) and Honolulu (HNL) year-round. They also flew between Minneapolis/St.Paul (MSP) and Cancun (CUN), Cozumel (CZM), Mazatlan (MZT) and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo (ZIH), Mexico and to Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ) year round and between Boston (BOS) and Aruba (AUA), Netherlands Antilles seasonally.

Boeing 767-300ER aircraft were added starting in August 2009, and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft began operating in April 2011. That same year, the Boeing 767-200ER was added to the fleet. The B-767s and DC-10s were operated on Department of Defense flights between the US and Kuwait (KWI) and between the US and overseas bases in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East and Central Asia. Omni also occasionally operates sub-service/wet-lease flights for foreign airlines from Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, and Bolivia.

In 2011, Omni retired the McDonnell Douglas DC-10s from the fleet and received its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registration. In 2012, Omni retired the Boeing 757-200.

On October 2, 2018, Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) announced it would acquire Omni subject to regulatory approval.^[2] On November 9, ATSG completed its acquisition of Omni for $845 million.^[3]

In September 2019, Omni aided in the repatriation of British citizens after the collapse of the UK's Thomas Cook Airlines. The airline was contracted by the Civil Aviation Authority under the instruction of the British government to operate rescue flights returning stranded Thomas Cook passengers to the UK.^[4]

In 2020, Omni Air obtained $67 million in coronavirus relief aid, as well as a $77.65 million contract with the Trump administration's Department of Defense for "international charter airlift services."^[5]

In August 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden activated the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, utilizing 18 aircraft from six commercial airlines to ferry evacuees of Afghanistan from interim waystations throughout the Middle East and Europe. According to the Pentagon, the activation involves four aircraft from United Airlines; three aircraft each from American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, and Omni Air; and two from Hawaiian Airlines.^[6]

As of June 2024, the Omni Air International fleet consists of the following aircraft:^[7]

On 28 August 2020, an Omni Air International Boeing 767 (registered N423AX) operated a flight between Kabul, Afghanistan and Washington, United States with a scheduled refueling stop at Bucharest, Romania. During landing at the Romanian capital, the aircraft's left main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded along the runway and evacuation slides were used by the 80 passengers to escape without injury.^[10]

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