Top USDA nonscheduled chartered freight air transportation contractors
In the 12 months ending Oct 5, 2026, the Department of Agriculture obligated $1.1B in net prime contract dollars under NAICS 481212, up 9.1% from $969.8M in the preceding 12 months. 62 prime contractors received positive obligations, and 16 of them accounted for 80% of that spend.
Prime contracts funded by the Department of Agriculture. Latest 12 months: Oct 6, 2025 to Oct 5, 2026. Source: USAspending.gov.
Obligations by fiscal year
Net prime contract obligations by federal fiscal year (October to September).
Top USDA contractors for NAICS 481212
Ranked by positive obligations in the latest 12 months. Share is of all positive obligations in this market.
| # | Contractor | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Share | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aero-Flite, Inc. | $126.6M | $104.1M | 11.9% | ▲ 1 |
| 2 | Helicopter Transport Services, LLC | $102.8M | $112.7M | 9.7% | ▼ 1 |
| 3 | Bridger Air Tanker LLC | $81.3M | $78.7M | 7.7% | — |
| 4 | Helicopter Express LLC | $76.2M | $76.6M | 7.2% | — |
| 5 | Aero Air, LLC | $76.0M | $50.2M | 7.2% | ▲ 1 |
| 6 | Neptune Aviation Services, Inc. | $73.9M | $62.4M | 7.0% | ▼ 1 |
| 7 | Coulson Aviation (USA), Inc. | $65.6M | $44.2M | 6.2% | ▲ 1 |
| 8 | Billings Flying Service LLC | $43.1M | $34.4M | 4.1% | ▲ 3 |
| 9 | Siller Helicopters, LLC | $39.2M | $41.4M | 3.7% | — |
| 10 | 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC | $34.4M | $46.5M | 3.3% | ▼ 3 |
| 11 | Rotak LLC | $32.5M | $38.6M | 3.1% | ▼ 1 |
| 12 | Orbic Air, LLC | $25.8M | $10.7M | 2.4% | ▲ 6 |
| 13 | Heli-1 Corp | $25.0M | $11.6M | 2.4% | ▲ 4 |
| 14 | Precision, LLC | $22.8M | $31.5M | 2.1% | ▼ 2 |
| 15 | Croman Corp | $19.9M | $26.1M | 1.9% | ▼ 2 |
What changed in the last 12 months
Contractors with the largest change in reported obligations versus the preceding 12 months.
Largest gains
- Aero Air, LLC$50.2M → $76.0M (+$25.9M) · now #5
- Aero-Flite, Inc.$104.1M → $126.6M (+$22.4M) · now #1
- Coulson Aviation (USA), Inc.$44.2M → $65.6M (+$21.4M) · now #7
Largest declines
- 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC$46.5M → $34.4M (−$12.0M) · now #10
- Helicopter Transport Services, LLC$112.7M → $102.8M (−$9.9M) · now #2
- Columbia Basin Helicopter, Inc.$10.0M → $504K (−$9.5M) · now #54
New to this market
3 contractors received their first obligations in this market (since FY2022) during the latest 12 months. The largest:
| Contractor | First obligation | Latest 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Northern X-Treme Helicopters, Inc. | Jul 15, 2026 | $1.7M |
| High Line Helicopters LLC | Jul 9, 2026 | $1.3M |
| Alaska Skyways, Inc | Mar 11, 2026 | $9K |
Where the money comes from
Funding sub-agencies within the Department of Agriculture, latest 12 months. The funding organization can differ from the office that runs the requirement.
| Funding sub-agency | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | $1.1B | $969.1M | Up $88.9M (9.2%) |
| Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service | $230K | $656K | Down $426K (65.0%) |
Potential recompetes
Large awards in this market whose current period of performance ends in the next 18 months. Treat these as research leads: options, extensions, and follow-on vehicles often change the timing.
| Award | Incumbent | Obligated | Current end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1202SA24K9121 | Neptune Aviation Services, Inc. NEPTUNE - AIRTANKER MATCO 2023 EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER 160 DAY MAP | $29.2M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9120 | Neptune Aviation Services, Inc. NEPTUNE - AIRTANKER MATCO 2023 EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER 160 DAY MAP | $29.6M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9122 | Aero-Flite, Inc. AERO FLITE - AIRTANKER MATCO 2023 EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER 160 DAY MAP | $29.4M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9116 | Coulson Aviation (USA), Inc. COULSON - AIRTANKER MATCO 2023 EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER 160 DAY MAP | $37.4M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9113 | Coulson Aviation (USA), Inc. COULSON - AIRTANKER MATCO EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER - 160 DAY MAP | $31.5M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9117 | Aero-Flite, Inc. AERO FLITE - AIRTANKER MATCO 2023 EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER 160 DAY MAP | $30.1M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9112 | 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC 10 TANKER - AIRTANKER MATCO EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER 2024-2028 - 120 DAY MAP | $37.4M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9128 | 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC 10 TANKER - AIRTANKER MATOC EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER | $35.8M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9115 | Aero Air, LLC AERO AIR - AIRTANKER MATCO 2023 EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER - 160 DAY MAP | $33.8M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 1202SA24K9119 | Aero-Flite, Inc. AERO FLITE - AIRTANKER MATCO 2023 EXCLUSIVE USE TASK ORDER 160 DAY MAP | $29.3M | Dec 31, 2026 |
Common questions
Who are the top USDA contractors for NAICS 481212?
In the latest 12 months, Aero-Flite, Inc. ($126.6M), Helicopter Transport Services, LLC ($102.8M), Bridger Air Tanker LLC ($81.3M) received the most USDA obligations for nonscheduled chartered freight air transportation.
How concentrated is this market?
The eight largest primes held 60.9% of positive obligations, and Aero-Flite, Inc. alone held 11.9%. 3 contractors won their first obligations in this market during the latest 12 months.
Are any large USDA NAICS 481212 contracts ending soon?
10 of the largest awards in this market reach their current end date in the next 18 months. The first is 1202SA24K9121 (Neptune Aviation Services, Inc., $29.2M obligated), ending Dec 31, 2026. An end date is a research lead, not a confirmed recompete: options and extensions often move it.
Related markets
NAICS 481212 across all agencies
DoD · NAICS 481212
$2.3BNASA · NAICS 481212
$511.2MInterior · NAICS 481212
$40.4MFigures are net obligations on prime contracts (award types A–D) from USAspending.gov, grouped by funding agency and the NAICS code on each award. Net obligations include deobligations and corrections, so they can differ from positive-obligation totals. See methodology.
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