Charter operator AirX has taken delivery of its first Bombardier Challenger 604 as part of a fleet expansion backed by a recently completed EUR115 million secured bond raise.
The aircraft, registered 9H-ATGT, was recently refurbished and repainted in AirX’s new corporate livery. It is certified for up to 12 passengers, with the company recommending eight to 10 for optimal comfort, and is capable of operating routes between London and the Middle East. Further Challenger 604s are in the pipeline.
The addition marks the smallest type in AirX’s fleet, which ranges from the Challenger 604 through Challenger 850, Legacy 600 and Embraer Lineage 1000 to VIP-configured Airbus A340 widebodies. AirX founder John Matthews described the aircraft as the opening move in the company’s “dash to 50” aircraft.
“We run one of the most diversified fleets in the market,” said Matthews. “This is not a mixed fleet by accident. It is engineered. Each aircraft has a role, each role has an economic purpose, and together they allow us to apply pricing pressure across multiple segments rather than operate within just one.”
Matthews said the expansion was focused on unit-level economics: “Minimise the expenditure, maximise the EBITDA per aircraft and convert that into real cash. That’s the model.”
AirX describes itself as Europe’s second-largest private jet charter operator and operates on a broker-first, transaction-based charter model.
