ABX Air

Big-picture snapshot

ABX Air is a Part 121 all-cargo airline based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), operating 32 Boeing 767 freighters primarily for DHL Express and Amazon. It is a subsidiary of Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), which was taken private in April 2025 through a $3.1 billion acquisition by Stonepeak Partners. ABX Air employs approximately 312 active pilots represented by IBT Teamsters Local 1224 (Airline Professionals Association).

For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame ABX is this: it is DHL's primary U.S. air carrier. ABX flies the majority of DHL Express's domestic and international freight out of CVG, which is DHL's Americas hub. ABX also operates a growing number of Boeing 767-300 freighters for Amazon under a five-year CMI agreement. The operation is single-domicile (CVG), single-fleet (767), and centered on two of the world's largest e-commerce and express delivery companies. ABX offers competitive retirement benefits (12-15% 401k) and a ratified contract through 2026, making it one of the more stable ATSG subsidiaries from a labor perspective.

Company history

ABX Air has a rich lineage tracing back to the early days of the overnight delivery industry:

• 1970: Founded as Midwest Air Charter (MAC) in Wilmington, Ohio — originally flew cancelled checks for banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve
• 1980: Acquired by Airborne Freight Corporation (ABF), which was building an integrated express delivery service to compete with Federal Express
• 1985: ABF adopted "Airborne Express" as its trade name
• 1989: The airline was renamed ABX Air to eliminate confusion with the parent company's Airborne Express brand
• 2003: DHL acquired Airborne Express; ABX Air was spun off as a separate public company because DHL (as a foreign-owned company) could not own a U.S. carrier under federal law
• 2007: ABX Air reorganized under holding company ABX Holdings, which acquired Cargo Holdings International (parent of ATI and Capital Cargo) for $350 million
• 2008: ABX Holdings renamed to Air Transport Services Group (ATSG)
• 2020: Pilot contract amendment reached (tentative agreement December 2020, ratified December 30, 2020) — six-year agreement through 2026
• 2025: ATSG acquired by Stonepeak Partners for $3.1 billion (completed April 11); ABX expanding 767-300F fleet for growing Amazon operations
• 2026: Contract amendable in early 2027 (six years from January 1, 2021 ratification)

Business model

ABX Air operates under two primary customer relationships:

• DHL Express CMI/ACMI: ABX is DHL's primary U.S. air carrier, operating Boeing 767 freighters on DHL's domestic U.S. network and select international routes (including transatlantic service to DHL's European hub at Cologne via East Midlands). DHL's Americas hub at CVG is ABX's single domicile, making the operation tightly integrated. The majority of ABX's flying is DHL freight.
• Amazon CMI: ABX operates a growing fleet of Boeing 767-300 freighters for Amazon under a five-year agreement. Amazon operations are expanding, with ABX adding 767-300s (which offer ~25% more capacity than the 767-200). ABX anticipated hiring 50+ new pilots to support the Amazon expansion.
• Ad-hoc charter/ACMI: ABX provides supplemental cargo charter services as needed.

ABX Air is part of ATSG's broader portfolio alongside ATI (the largest Amazon carrier), Omni Air International (passenger charter), Cargo Aircraft Management (freighter leasing), and Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services (aircraft conversion and MRO).

For a pilot, this means: Boeing 767 freighter flying for DHL and Amazon out of CVG. The operation is predictable, single-base, and centered on express freight delivery.

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