Page 15 - AAA MARCH - APRIL 2013 ( CHINESE EDITION ) Online Magazine

FEATURE CHINA BUSINESS JETS

Indeed, such are the possible rewards now offer full circle aircraft ownership ABOVE LEFT: Mykolas D. Rambus,
that potential China operators want both support to China’s business aviation CEO of Wealth-X, predicts that the
IP and FDI from partners, but global community,” he noted. “This is generating number of private aircraft owners
corporations are still reluctant to plunge new levels of confidence in the ease of in China will double in 2013, due
in given a few major failures following operating a business aircraft in China to the private jet’s popularity as a
establishment-backed competition that – confidence which is reflected in truly symbol of status
sprang up following a JV start-up – like remarkable growth figures,” he added. ABOVE RIGHT: Shanghai Hawker
Pacific Business Aviation Service
Deer Jet, which established a business Centre, the result of a joint venture
jet service base in 2008 in Beijing to cater Way to go between Hawker Pacific and the
to the Beijing Olympics. Due to strong Nonetheless, despite some issues with Shanghai Airport Authority
and heavily promoted competition from positioning in both the market and within
Beijing Capital International Airport it the business hierarchy that still exists in
closed shop not long after. China, there are plenty of green signals for
However, taking a less-competitive the industry. According to industry analyst
line can be very fruitful. A deal between Mykolas D. Rambus, CEO at Wealth-X,
Hawker Pacific and the Shanghai Airport 2013 is set to be a prosperous year for
Authority to set up a JV MRO facility in the Chinese rich-list. “In particular, we
the Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business expect to see the private jet industry take
Aviation Service Centre (SHPBASC) has off due to the surge in demand for private
been highly successful, with 100+% aircraft as new status symbols,” he said.
growth year on year. Carey Matthews, GM He predicted private aircraft owners
at SHPBASC, said that timing was crucial, would double to over 150 – still less than
with the facility set up just in time for the 1% of private jet ownership in the US –
Shanghai World Exposition. illustrative of the potential for growth.
“Our significant investment in capital Indeed, in an interview with the China
and personnel at both our FBO and MRO Daily, Du Jianyu, VP at Beijing-based Big
facilities means that for the first time we White Bear Jet Co., was confident the

PRC OPERATORS FLEET SIzE LOCAL BIzJETS?
Year End 2012 According to the Asian Sky Group report that was recently released,
there are 336 business jets registered in China and Hong Kong at the
Bombardier 97 Cessna 33 end of 2012, with 191 based in mainland China. Two makers dominated:
Gulfstream and Bombardier, with a total of 219 aircraft – or 65% of the
fleet. “I don’t think China will have the ability to make business jets
Hawker Pacific 27 independently in 20 years, but there is huge room for doing operations
Falcon 20 business,” commented Du Jianyu, VP of Beijing-based Big White Bear
Embraer 8 Jet Co. This indicates that Chinese companies can potentially do well
Airbus 18 if they stick to applying for flight routes, MRO and FBO set-ups, with or
Gulfstream 122 Boeing 11 without links to foreign operators.

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