Cambodia-based VIP charter and medical evacuation specialist BirdieJet has secured a Guernsey AOC under BirdieJet (Guernsey) Limited with a Learjet 55. Following certification, the company plans to induct three more aircraft within the next two years and establish additional bases across Southeast Asia.

“With this achievement, we are now ready to deliver safe, professional, and dependable VIP charter and medical evacuation services, while continuing to grow with confidence,” the company said.

Certification was issued on July 23 by the Director of Civil Aviation of Guernsey, with support provided by 2-REG Guernsey Aircraft Registry. “I'm pleased, but I would be lying if I said I had not expected it earlier,” said BirdieJet corporate pilot Sean Tong, adding that the main challenge had been uncertainty over when the regulator would grant approval.

The AOC was secured with a 1982-built, eight-seat Learjet 55, 2-BRDJ (msn 55-075), which first became active with a proving flight on July 15 between Kuala Lumpur Subang and Johor Bahru before returning to Kuala Lumpur Subang later that day. The jet has not operated since.

The same aircraft, previously registered as N117LR, had already been based in Southeast Asia since late 2024 and operated on behalf of BirdieJet under the United States Part 135 certificate of Titan Aviation (United States of America). At the time, the jet's addition marked the reintroduction of Part 135 operations for Titan Aviation. The company's Part 135 certificate currently lists no aircraft.

Explaining the selection of the Learjet 55, BirdieJet cited the type's reliability and widespread use for medical evacuation missions in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

Following certification, the company is planning further expansion. “We plan to grow our fleet to four aircraft within two years, establishing bases across Southeast Asia through strategic funding and collaborations with investors, hospitals, and government agencies,” the company website states. BirdieJet already partners with a Singapore-based medical concierge provider.

Managed by CGT Asia, BirdieJet was founded in November 2023 by three commercial pilots, including chief executive Darren Chan, a former AirAsia Aviation Group pilot and former deputy CEO and COO of defunct Lanmei Airlines, and Goh Chee Hong, non-executive director of BirdieJet and director of flight operations at Cambodia Airways, who also previously flew for AirAsia and Lanmei Airlines.

With the issuance of BirdieJet's certificate, the Director of Civil Aviation of Guernsey has now issued eight AOCs.