Machjet International adds second Cessna Citation CJ4, now operating two of Australia's three CJ4 aircraft

Queensland-based charter operator Machjet International has added a second Cessna Citation CJ4 to its fleet, registered VH-IPY, bringing its total to two of only three CJ4 aircraft currently operating in Australia. The new aircraft has arrived at the company's base at Sunshine Coast Airport, where it joins the existing CJ4, VH-PIY.

Managing director Simon McDermott said the expansion was driven by growing demand for premium private air travel. "The CJ4 has been a great aircraft for us and demand has continued to grow, so adding a second one made sense," McDermott said. He added that owning two of only three CJ4s in the country was notable, though his remark was not fully carried.

Fleet additions by charter operators are often framed around utilisation and demand signals, and this case is no different: McDermott points directly to rising demand for premium private travel as the reason for adding a second CJ4 rather than diversifying into another type. Sticking with the same model instead of spreading across types suggests a preference for scheduling flexibility and shared pilot and maintenance familiarity over broadening the range of missions the fleet can cover.

Because only three CJ4s operate in Australia in total, Machjet's move concentrates a large share of that specific type's national capacity under one operator, which matters for any customer or broker specifically seeking that aircraft rather than a comparable light jet. What remains to be seen is how McDermott's operation deploys the pair across its charter book and whether continued demand growth prompts a third addition or a shift toward a different aircraft type.