AirX Charter (AX, Malta International) has entered the super-midsize jet segment following entry into service of a Challenger 604 added in October. The company confirmed to ch-aviation that further units are expected to join within the next six months.
“By building a fleet of Challenger 604 aircraft, the company is not adding capacity in the traditional sense, but positioning unit economics to apply sustained pricing pressure on the super-midsize market,” AirX said in a statement.
The company told ch-aviation that is currently focused on the Challenger 604 and Challenger 850 product, with a minimum of three to four expected to join AirX's fleet within the next six months.
Configured for up to 12 passengers, the 2002-built Challenger 604, 9H-ATGT (msn 5517), entered revenue service in late April after being parked at London Stansted since July, where it underwent preparation for entry into service, including a full cabin refurbishment.
On April 7, the jet was ferried to Lelystad for repainting into AirX livery by Satys (France). On April 22, work was completed, and five days later the aircraft ferried to Lille Lesquin.
AirX founder John Matthews says the addition represents the opening move in what he describes as the company's “dash to 50” aircraft. In September, AirX secured a USD136 million bond, with plans to deploy proceeds toward the addition of more than 30 aircraft over the next three to five years.
The company's fleet currently comprises 20 aircraft, including an A340-300, a B737-700(BBJ), a Challenger 604, eight Challenger 850s, four Legacy 600s, and five Lineage 1000s.
“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 a single one,” Matthews added.
