ASL Airlines Australia (formally, Pionair Australia) is a passenger and cargo airline based at Bankstown Airport in Sydney.^[1]

On 3 April 2023, Irish based global aviation services company, ASL Aviation Holdings acquired Pionair, which will be rebranded to ASL Airlines Australia.^[2]

History

Pionair Australia specialises in both dangerous and non-dangerous cargo transport, FIFO operations and charter transport.^[1] The airline holds an IAOC permit, allowing the airline to operate and carry passengers and cargo worldwide. From 2016 to early 2020, Pionair Australia operated Virgin Australia Cargo flights under contract via TNT.^[3] Since March 2020 the contract has moved to Qantas and Pionair is operating up to 4 Bae146 freighters on the same schedule for Qantas Cargo and TNT.

On 3 April 2023, ASL Aviation Holdings acquired Australian airline Pionair for an undisclosed amount.^[4] The airline will eventually be re-branded to ASL Airlines Australia.

Fleet

The Pionair Australia fleet^[5] consists of the following aircraft:

Fleet development

The first of two Embraer E190-E2 were delivered in January 2020 for operations on behalf of Air Kiribati, scheduled to start in mid-2020 (now delayed due to COVID-19). These aircraft are brand new. One used Embraer E190-E1 (built in 2011) has been purchased by Pionair and is due for delivery November 2020 for company growth and expansion. As of November 2020, Pionair also operated nine British Aerospace BAe146 aircraft, five of which are freighters and the remaining four are passenger aircraft.

In February 2022, it was announced that Pionair Australia had acquired two surplus Royal Air Force British Aerospace BAe 146 transports.^[6]

The airline previously also operated two Convair 580s within Australia.^[7] Both of the airline's Convair 580s are preserved at the Parkes HARS Museum.

As part of its acquisition by ASL Aviation Holdings, the airline will eventually be allocated with its first Boeing 737-800BCF aircraft.^[8]