Corporate market hots up as industry showcase opens

A visitor examines a Bombardier jet model at an expo in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. China had 336 registered business jets as of 2012, with Shanghai's airports accounting for a third of the nation's total business flights. [Provided to China Daily]

"We will add more business aviation facilities to Shanghai's two airports, said Jing Yiming, vice-president of Shanghai Airport Authority and chairman of Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center.

"There will be a new hangar near the existing one at Hongqiao International Airport.

"We also plan to build a fixed-base operation that will provide support services for business jets at Pudong International Airport together with a parking area," said Jing.

Up to last year, China had 336 registered business jets, and Shanghai's airports accounted for a third of the nation's total business flights, or 3,800 flights, according to Jing.

More efforts will be made to shorten the turnaround times for flights, Jing said, so that there can be more landings and takeoffs in the city.

Shanghai established the nation's first one-stop business jet service base, at Hongqiao Airport in March 2010, and the facility is now designed to handle 6,000 flights a year.

Fixed-base operations are commercial businesses operating within airports offering various services such as refueling, aircraft hangers, parking services, aircraft rental, maintenance and flight instruction.

Jing was speaking on the eve of the 2013 Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition, the largest business aviation event in Asia, which starts on Tuesday in Shanghai, with more than 180 exhibitors taking part.

The potential of China's business and corporate airline sector has attracted many new players.