Flybird Aircraft Management Services (Abuja) added a Challenger 604 and a GIV-SP in December 2024, ch-aviation research reveals. Both are registered in Aruba and will become part of the fleet of OrientJets, the operator's new venture which is currently undergoing certification in Aruba.
The Challenger 604, P4-ZZK (msn 5632), is a 19.3-year-old Bombardier Business Aircraft which was first active on December 15, flying between Alton and Bangor International. The jet was ferried to Abuja between December 19 and 20 with a stopover in Santa Maria, PT.
Originally, the aircraft was registered in Germany where it served between 2006 and 2018, before being exported to the United States, operating there until May 2024. It was then reregistered in San Marino as T7-HAL, performing a single test flight under that registration around Alton on July 19.
Meanwhile, GIV-SP P4-ORJ (msn 1327) is a 27.3-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft, first active on December 18, 2024, travelling between Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg, CH and Abuja.
Delivered new to the Government of Gabon, the jet operated for the country until March 19, 2024, when it departed Libreville Leon M'Ba for Basel. It was the sole GIV-SP in Gabon's presidential fleet, which now includes two recently acquired aircraft - a G550 and an EMB-145LR - in addition to a previously operated G650ER.
According to Flybird's website, the company currently operates three Hawker Beechcraft jets, namely a Hawker 800XP, a Hawker 850XP, and a Hawker 900XP. The newly added Challenger 604 and GIV-SP join a G550, all registered in Aruba and set to be operated by OrientJets once it is certified.
OrientJets is a joint venture between Flybird and Falcon Aero Canada. The latter is the acquisition arm of Falcon Aerospace Limited that manages Nigerian operator Viva Jets, currently operating a Challenger 604 and with plans to add three more units of the type in 2025.
