Flybird Aircraft Management Services (Abuja) is collaborating with Falcon Aero Canada Inc. to establish OrientJets, an international aviation venture based in Aruba which is currently in the process of securing an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) there.
OrientJets plans to use P4-ADTW (msn 5189), a 16-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550, as its first aircraft. Originally delivered to Germany's DC Aviation (DCS, Stuttgart Manfred Rommel), it was registered in the UK for two years before returning to Germany, and later Czechia, where it operated for the past decade for ABS Jets (ABP, Prague Václav Havel). Currently under Flybird's management, the aircraft flew from Farnborough to Abuja on October 17, 2024, where it remains stationed.
Flybird's founder and CEO, Ahmed Borodo, said in a press release that "the acquisition of the Gulfstream G550 is a key step in securing our Aruba Air Operator Certificate," while aiming to expand OrientJets' fleet with a Gulfstream GIV-SP and a Bombardier Business Aircraft Challenger 604 in the first quarter of 2025.
According to its website, Flybird, which recently obtained its AOC from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), operates a four-aircraft charter fleet consisting of two Hawker 800XPs, one Hawker 900XP, and a Learjet 45XR.
Falcon Aero Canada Inc. is the acquisition arm of Falcon Aerospace Limited that manages other aviation brands including Viva Jets, currently operating a Challenger 604.
