01 / NAICS Market Profile
NAICS 481212 Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation Federal Contracts
North American Industry Classification System code 481212
Federal contract activity classified under Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation across FY 2019–FY 2025. Net obligations include both new obligations and subsequent deobligations.
02 / Market Size
How large is the NAICS 481212 federal market?
03 / Spending Trend
NAICS 481212 contract spending by fiscal year
Annual obligations, activity, and participation across the same FY 2019–FY 2025 profile window.
Latest closed fiscal year$3.90B
FY 2025| Fiscal year | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Customers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2019 | $2.46B | 1,082 | 149 | 15 | — |
| FY 2020 | $2.04B | 867 | 121 | 18 | −16.8% |
| FY 2021 | $1.69B | 828 | 138 | 20 | −17.1% |
| FY 2022 | $2.84B | 3,210 | 182 | 17 | +67.5% |
| FY 2023 | $2.86B | 3,601 | 173 | 18 | +0.6% |
| FY 2024 | $4.38B | 2,944 | 155 | 17 | +53.4% |
| FY 2025 | $3.90B | 3,502 | 129 | 14 | −11.0% |
04 / Top Federal Customers
Which federal agencies buy most in this industry?
Ranked by net obligations during FY 2019–FY 2025.
| Federal customer | Code | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | 5700 | $13.39B | 1,361 | 21 | 66.4% |
| FOREST SERVICE | 12C2 | $3.76B | 11,742 | 142 | 18.7% |
| NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | 8000 | $1.92B | 794 | 43 | 9.5% |
| USTRANSCOM | 9776 | $543.24M | 680 | 19 | 2.7% |
| DEPT OF THE NAVY | 1700 | $294.39M | 217 | 8 | 1.5% |
| IMMEDIATE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE | 97AD | $157.18M | 11 | 1 | 0.8% |
| DEPARTMENTAL OFFICES | 1406 | $90.48M | 779 | 75 | 0.4% |
| ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE | 12K3 | $21.64M | 199 | 11 | 0.1% |
| OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE | 7505 | $7.26M | 22 | 6 | 0.0% |
| AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 7200 | $2.67M | 9 | 5 | 0.0% |
05 / Contracting Offices
Which contracting offices buy in NAICS 481212?
Ranked by net obligations during FY 2019–FY 2025.
| Office | Code | Agency | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FA8811 ASSRD ACSS TO SPC SSC/AAK-LA | FA8811 | DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | $12.88B | 1,062 | 7 | 63.9% |
| INCIDENT PROCUREMENT AVIATION BRANCH | 1202SA | FOREST SERVICE | $3.20B | 10,423 | 122 | 15.9% |
| NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER | 80JSC0 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $1.59B | 297 | 12 | 7.9% |
| USDA FOREST SERVICE | 12024B | FOREST SERVICE | $555.82M | 1,160 | 64 | 2.8% |
| USTRANSCOM-AQ | HTC711 | USTRANSCOM | $543.24M | 680 | 19 | 2.7% |
| FA8818 ASSRD ACS TO SPC SSC/AAK-KT | FA8818 | DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | $325.08M | 218 | 15 | 1.6% |
| MSCHQ NORFOLK | N32205 | DEPT OF THE NAVY | $294.02M | 207 | 3 | 1.5% |
| NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER | 80KSC0 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $280.35M | 251 | 17 | 1.4% |
| HQ0850 | HQ0850 | IMMEDIATE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE | $157.18M | 11 | 1 | 0.8% |
| FA8814 SPACE DEV TEST PLAN PKT LA | FA8814 | DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | $108.15M | 26 | 2 | 0.5% |
06 / Top Vendors
Which contractors lead the NAICS 481212 market?
| Vendor | Obligations | Actions | Customers | Market share | Latest activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED LAUNCH SERVICES, LLC | $7.33B | 610 | 3 | 36.4% | Sep 30, 2025 |
| SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP. | $5.72B | 587 | 4 | 28.4% | Sep 30, 2025 |
| AERO FLITE INC | $447.16M | 738 | 2 | 2.2% | Sep 24, 2025 |
| ASTROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY, INC. | $400.10M | 73 | 1 | 2.0% | Sep 15, 2025 |
| Russia Space Agency | $345.03M | 65 | 1 | 1.7% | Sep 4, 2025 |
| INTUITIVE MACHINES, LLC | $340.11M | 68 | 1 | 1.7% | Sep 15, 2025 |
| FIREFLY AEROSPACE INC | $334.57M | 78 | 1 | 1.7% | Sep 25, 2025 |
| NEPTUNE AVIATION SERVICES, INC. | $266.96M | 489 | 1 | 1.3% | Sep 30, 2025 |
| HELICOPTER TRANSPORT SERVICES, LLC | $259.62M | 335 | 2 | 1.3% | Sep 26, 2025 |
| HELICOPTER EXPRESS INC. | $250.43M | 1,194 | 2 | 1.2% | Sep 29, 2025 |
07 / Product and Service Mix
What products and services are purchased under NAICS 481212?
| PSC | Description | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V126 | TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: SPACE TRANSPORTATION/LAUNCH | $13.68B | 1,737 | 40 | 67.9% |
| F003 | NATURAL RESOURCES/CONSERVATION- FOREST-RANGE FIRE SUPPRESSION/PRESUPPRESSION | $2.95B | 9,899 | 133 | 14.6% |
| V119 | TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: OTHER | $792.16M | 1,432 | 10 | 3.9% |
| V121 | TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: AIR CHARTER | $721.86M | 831 | 30 | 3.6% |
| AR37 | R&D- SPACE: FLIGHT (COMMERCIALIZED) | $637.67M | 116 | 8 | 3.2% |
| AR14 | SPACE R&D SERVICES; SPACE FLIGHT, RESEARCH AND SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES; R&D ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES | $606.81M | 116 | 8 | 3.0% |
| J018 | MAINT/REPAIR/REBUILD OF EQUIPMENT- SPACE VEHICLES | $345.03M | 65 | 1 | 1.7% |
| V111 | TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: AIR FREIGHT | $215.54M | 313 | 32 | 1.1% |
| AC25 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SVCS; ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES; R&D FACILITIES & MAJ EQUIP | $70.94M | 89 | 4 | 0.4% |
| V221 | TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRAVEL/LODGING/RECRUITMENT: PASSENGER AIR CHARTER | $61.95M | 585 | 85 | 0.3% |
08 / Buying Pattern
How does the government buy in NAICS 481212?
| Common action type | Obligations | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| DELIVERY ORDER | $15.08B | 13,722 |
| DEFINITIVE CONTRACT | $5.06B | 2,048 |
| PURCHASE ORDER | $17.34M | 231 |
| BPA CALL | $1.59M | 33 |
09 / Recent Contract Awards
What was awarded most recently in NAICS 481212?
10 / Market Interpretation
How should contractors evaluate this market?
Start with the spending direction
Compare annual obligations with actions and vendor participation. Growth driven by only a few large actions represents a different opportunity from broad, recurring demand.
Follow the actual buyers
Move from federal customers to contracting offices. Offices reveal where acquisition responsibility and recurring purchasing activity are concentrated.
Measure accessible demand
Use competition, small-business participation, incumbent vendors, and PSC mix before treating the full $20.16B market as addressable.